


The Statue

by checkablelas



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Complete, Demon Slayer!Rin, F/M, Non-Graphic Smut, Non-Graphic Violence, Older!Rin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-18
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-08-18 13:14:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 38,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8163256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/checkablelas/pseuds/checkablelas
Summary: When Rin is left with Inuyasha's village abruptly, will her feelings for her lord last over the years? And what does mating season and a statue have to do with it his return? Will Rin's life be changed forever or doomed to watch her lord love another?





	

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is a repost from FF. And because I'm lazy its going in as an all in one chapter. If the ending seems rushed, I apologize but this was three years in the making and while I attempted to fix any issues to try and make a smooth ending, and tie off loose ends, there may be a rush within the last few chapters.  
> If at anytime, you're reading along and think 'Chelsea, why didn't you add this to the tags', message me and I will add any tags that would make finding or preparing for the story better for the readers :)  
> But I hope that you enjoy!  
> Chels

The memories of Rin Takashi’s childhood were too brutal for her to want to revisit, and eventually she came to the point where Sesshomaru was all that she remembered. And at the tender age of ten, the young girl had no set home or human family. Though she was happy, she never understood the hushed tones people seemed to adopt every time she passed through a village. For her, life was perfect. Her lord kept her safe and as long as she was with him, nothing could go wrong. After Naraku's death, everything changed. She remembered Lord Sesshomaru telling her that she would be attending the celebration in Inuyasha’s village in his place, and she was honored that he trusted her with something her young brain saw as monumental.  
Lord Sesshomaru had told her, well Jaken had been the one to tell her but she knew that her Lord was the one to originally speak the words and that was all that mattered, to meet him at the edge of the village after the celebration. Rin had spent the evening enjoying the company of Kagome and Sango, but could not comprehend the looks the older women had given her as the night progressed. The women sent her off with reassurances that should she ever choose to settle into the village they would welcome her with open arms.  
When the sun started to fade from the sky, Rin approached the outskirts of the village. She could see her Lord not too far away, and her short limbs scrambled to meet him faster, afraid of him leaving the village, and her, behind. As Rin approached him, the demon lord did not turn to face her, but his mokomoko and hair blew gently to the side, creating the beauty for which the daiyoukai was known. Rin took a moment to take in her lord, and realized that only her lord stood on the hilltop with her. Ah-Un and Jaken were nowhere to be found and Jakens telltale screech for his lord to wait was not even a whisper in the wind.  
"Lord Sesshomaru, where is Master Jaken?" Rin was rooted in place, her signature smile barely holding on.  
"This Sesshomaru did not wish for his presence," Rin let out a relieved sigh. She knew that the toad demon could grate on her lord's nerves and was often sent away to do menial tasks. "and this Sesshomaru can no longer handle yours." There was a moment where Rin thought she had misheard her Lord, but when he turned and he somehow seemed colder than ever before.  
"My... My lord?" Rin prayed to every deity and god she knew that she has simply misheard her lord, and that he was not abandoning her.  
"Rin will stay in the village with Kaede to learn. This Sesshomaru will return to take back Rin, if she has proven herself worthy." And with a blast of light, the powerful diayuki was gone.  
She was found hours later by a concerned Shippo, who upon returning to the hut for the night had heard the wailing of a young girl's life shattering.

That was eight long years ago. Rin, now a beautiful young woman, had grown out of her awkward young body and into a more mature, nimble one. In those eight years, Rin had mastered many of the disciplines that the small village had to offer. Kaede had explained to the distraught young girl, that her lord had not abandoned her. He had expressed concern at Rin returning to his home at a young age and no specialties or talents. By staying in the village Rin could learn and become useful.  
At first Rin had been distraught, and unable to do much more than eat and sleep. But after poking and prodding from Kagome, the young girl had left the hut and begun her training. Rin had trained with Kaede for the first two years of her life in the village, learning everything she could about healing and caring for others. The young girl studied day and night, often times waking in the small communal room her hut with Kaede held, drooling on some healing scroll that she had studied into the night. When it became apparent that the student was now teaching the master, Rin was passed over to Kagome and Sango. Kagome taught the young girl how to behave like a lady ("I must know how to behave in my lord's presence when he returns for me!") and Sango taught the young woman how to defend herself and wield a sword.  
And over the past six years Rin trained, and trained. The young woman soon took over the demon slaying duties from Sango, as she was with child more often than not and unable to complete those duties. She was often hired out to other villages and has amassed quite the wealth and name for herself over the years. But this was not the only reason the young woman was popular.  
Rin has become known as Utsukushī kirā, or the beautiful killer. Her midnight black hair fell to her waist, and her expressive brown eyes could turn as cold as a winter night when hunting the demons that plagued the villages. Her body was curvaceous but nimble as she crept about at night, seeing danger before it saw her. Her skin held a tan, showing the world that this was not a delicate lady, but a woman who worked for her meals. The kimonos she received as gifts from her many suitors were left in her dresser collecting dust while her hunters outfit was worn and showed the use that it received.  
Her outfit was unique among the other demon slayers. While many chose to dress like Sango, with a base outfit of black and accents of different colors, Rin took special pride in her work. Having modeled it off of her memory of her lord, her outfit retained the base of black, but held the red accents of her lord's outfit. Her obi was an exact replica of her lord's yellow and purple and her armour was white with the crest of the west in the center. This reminded her that she was still the ward of a great demon lord that would one day return for her... she hoped.  
Every year, on the anniversary of the celebration, Rin would pack her belongings and set them on the hill top. She would leave the party as the sun set and wait till morning for her lord to take her back, and as she packed her bags for the eighth time, Kagome entered her hut.  
"Rin, how is the packing coming along?" Kagome had long since given up on persuading Rin to not pack, and simply helped the girl pack away her necessities. It had brightened Rin's life when she realized that though she felt little to no hope, the women she looked up to still supported her. Kagome saw the young woman as a younger sister and refused to leave her to her own devices on the toughest night of the year,  
"The same as usual Kagome, how is the baby doing?" Rin glanced down at Kagome’s swollen stomach and a shot of jealousy shot through her. When she was younger, all she could imagine was growing up and having babies. Now she could barely go a week without getting the itch for a hunt and couldn't understand how Sango had let the life go. But it still hit her in the heart sometimes seeing Kagome and Inuyasha together, felt like she couldn't get the air into her lungs and the weight off of her chest.  
"He's a little restless today," Her hand stopped her folding to rub her belly for a moment before continuing. "This will be the last time that we pack you up Rin, I can feel it." Rin flashed her best friend a smile and hoped that it would cover up the doubt that was weighing in her gut. The young demon slayer had started to lose hope that her lord would ever return for her, doubt for her use to a daiyouki slipping into her dreams and waking anxieties. She had tried for years to become as useful as possible, trying to please a demon that could possibly never get over that she was a frail human.  
"I hope so as well Kagome, where is Sango? She is normally here by now..." Sango had, in the past few years, also taken to helping Rin pack. Both women claimed that if Rin was not to be with them in the morning then they wanted to share a few last moments with the girl to prepare her for the journey.  
"I'm sorry for running late!" Sango was leaning against the door frame, gasping for air as she peered at the two younger women. "The kids would not settle down for Miroku and I had to calm them before I could leave." Sango and Miroku had married not long after the defeat of Naraku. Though they had not started to have children until Rin was trained and taking over her duties. The family had grown from a quiet house of two, to a rambunctious house of six in the past few years.  
"So are we going to begin with our parting wisdom?" Kagome giggled and Sango came to sit near Rin, helping her air out some of her nicer kimonos for packing.  
"Well, let's see. Never go anywhere without your dagger!"  
"Sango!" Kagome and Rin pouted together, knowing that was not the information they were looking for. Sango laughed and brushed off another kimono.  
"Well that is good practical advice, especially for a demon slayer living in a castle full of demons! But alas, you want advice on men," Sango paused, thinking for a moment. "Never give them all that they want, leave them begging you for more! Any human man will fall to his knees for you Rin, but demons may take a bit more work!" The group of women laughed, flashing back to the last group of men that had tried asking for Rin’s hand.  
"And never give up! Even if the tides seem to be against you, keep fighting." A sad look flashed across Kagome's face as the three year separation from Inuyasha was pulled to the forefront of her mind.  
"I won't Kagome." Rin took the pregnant woman's hands in her own, squeezing them and pulling her back to the present. "I have waited this long for My Lord, anything else will seem trivial in comparison!" The last of Rins material possessions had been locked away in either her traveling bag, a gift from Kagome (she called it a backpack?), or in Kagome’s closet for donation after she left. There was a curt knock at the hut door, and as the Rin pulled it open, Inuyasha stood in the doorway.  
"Ladies." Inuyasha had not changed in the years that Rin had been in the village. He still stood in his signature stance (arms tucked away in his sleeve, an uncaring scowl on his face), but concern for his pregnant mate shown in his eyes. Rin had always had the gift of reading a person's, human or demon, eyes. No matter how hard their face may seem, the young demon slayer was a firm believer that the eyes were the window to the soul, and that had yet to fail her.  
"We were just coming out, Inuyasha. Just have to put my bags outside Kaede's hut and everything will be ready to go." Rin slung the backpack over her shoulder and started her way up the hill, followed by Sango. A loud rumble had alerted them to Kagome’s growing appetite and Inuyasha was shuffling her off to the celebration. Rin set her things down by the hut, just a few meters away from the place this all started. Rin lost herself in the memories but was pulled out a moment later by the gentle pressure of Sango’s hand on her shoulder.  
In that moment, Rin made a decision. If her Lord did not come tonight, then he was never coming, she would find herself a nice husband and settle down. And in that moment she once again prayed, and hoped that someone, somewhere would listen.  
Rin really did try to enjoy the festival. Villages from all around came to celebrate every year and it was quite a profitable event for the village. Families separated by marriages to other villages reunited and trade flowed between the different villages now surrounding Inuyasha's Forest. Since the defeat of Naraku and the rise in the demon slayer population, the area was safer than ever. Inuyasha’s village alone had doubled in size as the protetion of a half demon was now something to boast rather than hide. Many people would come to feast, and many men came to try and ask for Rin’s hand. Though, tonight was different. The men that normal accosted her every year seem to shake with fear whenever she looked at them. Thank the Kami's, maybe my reputation as a slayer finally made it through their thick skulls.  
Though she had the weight of the night resting on her shoulders, the young demon slayer wished to enjoy her night. Sango and Miroku's children skittered about her feet, begging her to come and play, pulling at her armour. Their youngest, a small girl named Aina, looked curiously between Rin and her mother. Both were dressed in their slayers uniforms, Sango taking the opportunity to always wear it between pregnancies.  
"Aunt Rin?" The girl made Rin’s eyes go soft, loving the title that Aina had gifted her.  
"Yes, Aina?" The girl drifted closer to her Aunt, and tugged at her sleeve as though she wanted to tell her a secret. Rin bent down and Sango’s daughter cupped her hands around her ear.  
"Why does your armour look different than Mommy's?" The girl shifted back, looking around as though she wanted to make sure that no one heard her question.  
"Oh, Aina. It is quite alright to ask that." The child looked relieved as Rin knelt down next to her. "I have different armour because I come from a different clan that your mother." The girl still seem curious and Rin guided her over to the nearest empty bench, pleased that suitors seemed to run from her sight. "My clan consists of me, Master Jaken, and Lord Sesshomaru. They are the people that I used to travel with, and I am a ward of Lord Sesshomaru's." The pain of speaking his name had slowly ebbed away, but always returned on this night. Aina seemed to notice her Aunts pain and reached out to hold her hand, as her mother had always done for her.  
"It's okay Aunt Rin." The minor amount of comfort spoke volumes to Rin who nearly crushed the girl in a hug.  
"Thank you Aina. But I will continue," The girl seemed entranced by Rin’s voice. She always used a different tone when speaking of her lord, reverence and devotion dripping from every word. "Lord Sesshomaru is the ruler of these lands, and he is often too busy to handle the small matters this near his borders. So since there are no official protectors near here, I will protect it for him. And since I am his ward it is only right that I bear his symbol and let others know who they are messing with." Rin and Aina continued to speak, eventually Rin guided the younger girl through the crowds to play games and eat.  
Kagome had watched Rin for most of the night, making sure that she did not wander off too early. The first few years the young demon slayer would sit on the hilltop for the entire night, scared that her lord would come and she would miss him. But Kagome and Sango slowly started to reel her in for more and more of the festival, only letting her leave just before the sun set. Now it seemed as though Aina was keeping the young slayer busy with questions about new wares being sold and food. The miko glanced around the party, noting the wariness of the suitors. Every year, men from all over the Western Lands would come, using the festival as guise, to ask for Rin’s hand. They had slowly waned over the years, some being married or killed on the journey.  
Inuyasha had been told of the demon attacks on the way to the festival. The year following the first killing Inuyasha had brought in a nearby village of demon slayers to protect the festival goers. The other slayers noted the presence of a strong demon force, but they never approached the villagers, only the young suitors. The half-demon had figured out the identity of the attacker after the third year, and had stopped the village protection. If the bakas are stupid enough to continue to come, let them risk their own lives. Inuyasha appeared at his wife's side, glancing over her, his eyes stopping at her rounded belly.  
"Stop staring, Inuyasha." Kagome's cheeks warmed at her husband's attention.  
"Soon," He stepped behind her, pulling her close. "very soon," His hands came around her waist, rubbing at her stomach as his child kicked its fathers hands. "you will finally be able to call me mate. " The emphasis put on the word mate was not lost on Kagome and her cheeks heated more.  
"Why must we wait?" She turned, looking up at the half breed. "Why must mating season hold this over our heads?" Her eyes cast down and a look of sadness floated into her eyes. "I will continue to age until we mate, I will become an old woman by the time that rolls around." Inuyasha grabbed at his future mates chin.  
"It is approaching, it will be here soon. Then we can be together until the end of time." He kissed his wife, while both cursing and thanking his demon blood. A demon could not officially claim another as his mate until mating season. Contrary to popular belief, at least with half demons, mating season did not cause a frenzy or men forcing their women. It was a time to bind yourself to another, in both life and death. Kagome's body would feed off of Inuyasha’s energy, keeping herself alive until the day that he died.  
But there was not a set time that the season came. If there was a large number of demons wishing to take a mate then the Gods would bring upon the time. Their demon blood would know and the power to take a mate would be gifted to those ready. The season often lasted for years, because as a few demons took their mates and reproduced, the others would want to do the same.  
Inuyasha continued to hold his wife until a strangely familiar scent ghosted through the village. He saw Shippo lift his head, and sniff the air. A look of confusion overcame his face and he glanced over at the half-breed. Inuyasha shook his head, telling the young fox demon not to worry, knowing that his brother would announce himself when he was ready.  
The night continued on, until the villagers started to light the lamps in preparation for the nights arrival. Inuyasha's group grew quite as Rin abandoned her current conversation to head towards the hills. The residents of the village had grown accustomed to the ritual, no longer pausing to watch the girl walk towards disappointment.  
Rin was fighting with herself as she climbed the hill. Why do you do this to yourself every year, Rin? He is a demon lord, a daiyoukai, he does not need a pathetic little human like us. She looked down as she walked, hoping that if she didn't look up, she could go a little longer believing that he would come back for her. Rin failed to notice the group behind her, consisting of Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and Kagome. Rin also failed to notice that she had reached the apex of the hill until she ran into a solid mass, and fell to the ground  
"You insolent human! How dare you touch Milord!" Jaken's screech seemed to break Rin out of her reverie and as she looked up from her vantage point, silver hair floated into view and the smell of the forest assaulted her nose. The man looked as cold as when she first met him, injured on the forest floor. He didn't seem to age a day, the only thing changed about him was the armour on his shoulder was gone.  
"Lord...lord Sesshomaru..." Rin was awe struck. Her lord stood not even two feet from her, and she had just crashed into him. But his eyes seemed locked onto the approaching pack of people. Her awareness faded with an internal crack as she realized that maybe he wasn't here for her, and was just back for his brother. But why tonight? Why not when she was long gone on a mission, and when she would never think of him again?  
"Half-breed." That was all the stoic demon said as the group finally reached the trio. Jaken was still prancing about, complaining about human women, but the group let his voice fade to the back of their minds as they always did. Inuyasha ignored his brother, leaning down to help Rin up. He had realized years ago that responding to his brothers taunts only got him in more trouble than it was worth.  
"You alright there, Rin?" Inuyasha smiled at the girl and helped her up, brushing some grass off her obi as she righted herself. She nodded at him, and turned, picking up her bags and heading back down the hill. I told you he didn't need us. Give up already. She had made it a total of five shaky steps before a deep voice cut through her conscious.  
"Did this Sesshomaru say you should leave Rin?" Rin turned, looking her lord in the eye. Amber eyes burnt brightly for a moment, but were gone the next as she reclaimed her spot next to Kagome. She tried to contain herself, but the smile that seemed to light up the hill refused to be put down bellow the demon slayer mask.  
"What do you want with me Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha had stepped back to wrap his arm around his pregnant wife and stared at his half brother intently.  
"You and your wife must return with this Sesshomaru to the palace." And with that he turned, heading into the forest, at a slow enough pace to follow.  
"Why should I go anywhere with you? My wife is in no shape to travel." Inuyasha stood his ground, wrapping his arm tighter around Kagome's expanded waist.  
"Are you as dense as you seem half-breed? Your wife must come to be tried." Every head in the group snapped towards Jaken. He seemed to stutter for a moment before continuing. "Mating season is fast approaching, every demon can sense it, even a half-breed like you surely can feel it?" Inuyasha nodded, the angry clench in his fists fading. "Even if you are not a full demon, your wife must still be approved by your father before mating." Jaken must have noticed the stupid looks every member of the group gave him. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's father was dead. "This has been taken into account. There is a statue in front of the palace that contains a small piece of your father’s soul. The statue will take a drop of blood from the perspective mate and judge them. If he bows then he has accepted your mate and the process will begin almost immediately. If not, then it will be impossible for you to mate with said person." Rin noticed Kagome tighten like a bow string. Rin reached out to take Kagome’s available hand, squeezing it to show her support.  
"Everything will be alright Kagome! How could anyone deny you in your state?" Rin's words seemed to cut through to her and she cracked a smile, causing Inuyasha to loosen his grip on her waist.  
"How long will it take us to get to the palace, Jaken? My wife is in a delicate state and I will not have her traveling farther than needed." Jaken gave Inuyasha a glare, and glanced at the forest, noticing his lord’s figure getting smaller and smaller as he advanced down the path.  
"It would take three days if we walked. But only the night if we were to take Ah-Un, but he will only fit two with your female in her... state." There was an awkward silence as the misfit group watched Ah-Un approach from the forest.  
"Where do I fit in Master Jaken?" Everyone turned to look at Rin, knowing that she was implying that she may be left behind. There was a long pause before a forgotten part of the group spoke up.  
"Take Kirara with you, Rin. She hasn't been out in so long, and Miroku and I will have to stay here in everyone's absence." Sango spoke for the first time, glancing back down at the village to watch Kirara play with her children. "She travels just as fast as Ah-Un and can come back once you make it." Rin smiled at her mentor and rushed over to hug her.  
"Well get moving! We dare not waste Lord Sesshomaru's time!" Jaken had started to waddle after his lord, completely ignoring the fact that the people with them would need clothing to bring with them.  
"Ah-Un?" The two headed dragon looked up at Rin, walking over to be petted by the young woman. "Do you know your way back to the palace?" The dragon seemed to give Rin a look that simply said 'Do you even need to ask?'. Rin giggled, shaking her head and leading the dragon back down towards the village, chatting along the way. Inuyasha's group smiled, watching as their old Rin reappeared.  
"I haven't seen her smile like that in a long time, Yahsa. Maybe it is a good thing for her to go back with Sesshomaru." Inuyasha simply smiled down at his wife, and started their slow trek back to the village.  
By the time the group made it back, Rin had already packed their bags and was strapping them onto Ah-Un's saddle. She chatted with the dragon merrily and Kirara stood not far from the pair. The excitement coursing through her could no longer be contained as she swung her leg over Kirara. Inuyasha and his miko had mounted Ah-Un and they were off in moments, and it took them but a few minutes to catch up with Sesshomaru and Jaken. It seemed Rin's worry about finding their way was unwarranted as Sesshomaru glided through the sky, making it look as easy as pie. While Jaken hung onto his trailing mokomoko, eyes clenched and his green hands turned white with the force of his grip.  
Night fell and slowly the stars were the only thing leading the unlikely group through the sky and Rins vision slowly faded as sleep caught her in its grasp.  
Rin awoke to the sun shining in her eyes as it broke over the horizon. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and taking in the group. Inuyasha sat straight as a board, supporting his wife as she fell in and out of sleep. That can't be the most comfortable position for a pregnant woman. But Rin was soon distracted by the sight of her lord, framed by the rays of the rising sun. The setting seemed to only make him appear more beautiful, yet deadly at the same time.  
The group floated through the sky for another hour or so, when the peaks of a palace came into view. The palace stood at an impressive nine stories tall, and seemed to be comprised of many smaller buildings forming the larger whole. The palace sat atop a mountain, with a small, but bustling village a few miles from the base of the mountain. Demons seemed to have carved the mountain to their will, as there were gardens and training grounds spread down the side of the mountain.  
A small gasp left Rin's lips as the full structure came into view, and Jaken seemed to snap out of his fear and glance around his lord. Sesshomaru touched down in between what looked to be a stable and the barracks of the palace, heading off towards the main building. Guards had swarmed the group at first, not knowing the faces, but backed off as Sesshomaru seemed to pay them no mind.  
Inuyasha and Kagome took a few moments to readjust to standing, while Rin jumped off of Kirara and immediately started to look around. She did not wander far from the group before two demons appearing to be her age and a bit older approached her.  
"Are you a demon slayer?" The first to speak was the tallest of the two, with red hair that seemed to catch aflame as the sunlight caught it, and markings similar to Sesshomaru. The crescent moon on his face was turned in the opposite direction and where her lord's markings were on his cheeks, this young mans was on his neck. Rin turned to return to her group, intent to ignore the voice, when an arm shot out and grabbed her.  
"My brother asked you a question, human." The shorter of the two had the same markings as the other, with this younger demons hair being two shade darker than the others. The two together would have been quite striking to anyone without experience in the demon realm. Their faces were a bit longer than Sesshomaru's and their green eyes were filled with something akin to lust as they glanced over Rin. Any normal human would have found them quite pleasing.  
"And who exactly is your brother?" Rin ripped her arm out of the dog demon’s grip and crossed her arms, waiting for an answer. She easily slipped into her slayer visage, used to issuing orders and they being followed without protest. The younger of the two huffed and exclaimed.  
"This is Lieutenant Daisuke, third in command of Lord Sesshomaru's army!" The young man continued on, seeming to ignore his brothers eye roll. "And I am Commander Haruko!" The younger of the two flashed a pose before growing serious. "Why are you here?" His face held a serious expression, but his eyes told Rin that he was bursting at the seams with curiosity.  
"My name is Rin Takashi, I am a ward of Lord Sesshomaru..."  
"Then why have I never seen you here before? I have lived here my entire life and..." Daisuke smacked his brother upside the head, reminding Rin of what her lord used to do to Jaken.  
"Shut up and let the demon slayer speak for herself." That seemed to reign in Haruko enough for Rin to finish.  
"As I was saying, I am a ward of Lord Sesshomaru. I traveled with him when I was younger and then I was left in a village to be trained." Daisuke glanced over Rin again, his eyes lingering on shoulder armour that bore the symbol of the west.  
"And what is your slayer name?" Rin cocked her head at the man, hadn't she just told him her name? Or was he deaf? "Not your birth name your slayer name, if you are a ward of Sesshomaru-samas then you must be at least mediocrely strong." Rin blushed, not willing to tell him her name. She had never approved of it. Why should she be called a beautiful killer while Sango had no name? Sango always told her that Rin deserved a name more than she, and then names had only become a trend while Sango was with child. So a name was never given to her.  
"Well what is it?" Haruko pushed. Inuyasha and his wife were approaching, followed by a few servants and Lord Sesshomaru lead the pack. When had he snuck past us? Rin you're really getting rusty.  
"I believe the clan near us named her Utsukushī Kirā. The clan choose when Rin refused to, she didn't believe herself ready for a name." Daisuke's eyes let through a flicker of shock, while his younger brother was unable to contain it.  
"You mean your... your... Utsukushī Kirā?" The serious mask had broken and even Sesshomaru paused long enough for a servant to crash into him.  
"We call her Kirā, but yeah she is. Why?" Daisuke spoke up as Sesshomaru glided past them.  
"That slayers reputation has reached here. Many in our army have heard that she may even rival Sesshomaru's General Makoto! There are many here who wish you would train them." Rin seemed shocked, having heard that her reputation spread, but never to this degree. Before either demon could respond to the look on her face, a soldier approached the pair.  
“Lieutenant, Commander. There’s an issue in the barracks.” The soldier was looking down at a scroll, and didn't seem to notice that Rin was even there.  
“Alright, we will be there soon.” Daisuke dismissed the man, who never even bothered to look up, just saluted then continued reading the scroll as he retreated. “Unfortunately there seems to be an issue that demands our attention Rin.” The demon seemed almost disappointed to be leaving the conversation early, but Rin caught little of it from his voice, too busy watching as Sesshomaru’s hair slowly disappeared from view.  
“Oh, umm.” Rin flushed as she realized that the men had left their statement open, allowing her to choose how it would continue. “We could speak later, possibly after meal time?” The men nodded, leaving her with a smile before Daisuke dragged the younger man away with him. A single servant remained behind, watching the exchange while casting her eyes to the ground. The woman appeared to be a cat demon of some kind.  
"Rei!" The cat demon looked over to Jaken, who had been forgotten during the conversation. "Take Lord Inuyasha and his wife to their chambers and then report to Rin's chamber. You will be split between them while Lord Inuyasha stays here and when they leave you will become Rin’s servant full time." The woman nodded and asked Inuyasha and Kagome to follow her in a timid voice. "Rin!" The young slayer turned and looked down at Jaken, finally noting the height difference that was now apparent between them. Rin would never be a tall woman, reaching only 5'5", but compared to Jaken she felt like a giant.  
"Yes, Master Jaken?"  
"Come with me and I will take you to your chambers to get ready for the ceremony. With Lord Inuyasha's wife in such a delicate state the ceremony has been pushed forward to tonight so that she will be mated before giving birth to the pup. Demon birthings are hard on human women." Oh that’s so cute. Master Jaken is worried about Kagome. The two wandered through the stunning palace, Rin taking note of how they got to her chambers. Along the way the two passed an opening in the wall, leading into a large dining area. There were dozens of demonesses and their families scattered throughout the room at different tables. Rin had paused in the doorway, having never seen that many beautiful women in one room before.  
"Keep moving, Rin." Jaken poked the girl with his staff and she continued on.  
"What are all those women doing here Jaken?" Rin was scolding herself on the inside, upset with herself that she had not sensed such a large demonic presence.  
"They are here to see who will become Lord Sesshomaru's mate." Jaken said this as though he was reporting on the days weather, not realising what the simple sentence had done to the young woman following him.  
Rin had the sense to keep moving, not pausing in the doorway for the demoness to catch her scent. Well I will just have to hide away until they all leave. Maybe do some more training and get to know Daisuke and Haruko. Jaken seemed to pay no mind to the crestfallen look on Rin's face, but continued to jabber on as he lead them to her chambers. He stopped in front of an ornate looking door, and looked pointedly at Rin.  
"These are your rooms, there is a private bath attached to it so that you are not parading around the palace with your human stench." Thanks Master Jaken, you know exactly how to make me feel good about myself. Rin opened the door, looking in at the elaborate rooms. She had a large, plush looking futon in the middle of the room, and there was a dresser opposite of the futon that looked to be made of an imported wood. They were on the third floor, and there was a sliding door that lead out to an expansive balcony. Simply put, the view was amazing.  
Rin's balcony faced the town, and she could watch as demons and human interacted, selling their goods and partying. She also had a view of the flower gardens and noticed Jakens absence after a while of staring out at the view. The sun was starting so set and Rin crept inside to check out her private bath.  
The room was about half the size of her bedchambers, allowing for a large tub, a laundry basket and the shelves full of exotic bathing lotions. The bath was filled to the brim with steaming water and it looked inviting after the long journey. Rin was used to bathing in rivers and the occasional hot spring, but a bath in a tub seemed like a luxury she would never enjoy. Though she seemed to still be grappling with the fact that Jaken said she would have a personal servant, someone who would tidy up after her and do her hair. No one had ever cared for her like that, with no memories of her parents and Kagome and Sango teaching her how to do these things on her own then leaving her to it, the thought of a personal servant was a foreign one.  
"Lady Rin?" Rin jumped, turning to look at Rei, hands reaching for the sword at her side. Though the sword she carried was not demonic, Totosai had warned her that killing as many demons as she had could alter the state of the sword. She had noticed over the years, she never had to search for it. Even on the days that she worked the fields, and left the sword behind it seemed to always be close by in times of need, like it could sense the demons better than she. It would likely never be able to perform massive attacks like her lords and Inuyasha’s swords, but it was catered to her and useful in its own right.  
"Yes Rei?" Rin's pulse was slowly lowering, realizing that the cat demon wasn't a threat. Rin took in the cat demon, noting the whisker like marks extending out from her nose. She had pitch black hair tied back into a bun and her eyes were an odd yellow color that Rin had never seen in her time with the demons.  
"Do you need anything? The ceremony is going to start in a few hours and I am here to help you get ready." The demoness looked up for only a moment and stood in the doorway, waiting to be welcomed in.  
"Come in Rei, I actually wanted to speak with you about this." Rei stepped in the room and approached Rin, leaving quite a bit of space in between the two of them. "What is expected of me tonight? What is even going to happen? I know very little of the workings of the demon world." Rei looked up, taking in Rin's dress and appearance. Rin appreciated that she seemed to be completely non judgemental, simply taking in the facts and not scrunching her nose at the human stench or appearance.  
"Well, as Lord Sesshomaru's ward you will need to be dressed appropriately. What you are wearing is fine for during the day. But during any ceremony you will need to wear proper ceremonial clothes." Rin groaned, dreading the multilayer kimonos that always seemed to be necessary for these sorts of things. "They will be predominantly white, bearing the symbol of the west on the back, promoting your status. Many of the demon guests that are here will be there tonight. If Lady Kagome does not pass the test, then other women will want to try and become Lord Inuyasha's mate. Even with his half-blood status, he is still the son of a great demon lord and if anything should happen to Lord Sesshomaru before he has an heir, Lord Inuyahsa would take over control of the lands." Rin closed her eyes, taking a moment to pray, hoping that the statute would accept Kagome. A refusal would kill the poor women, and Rin had come to see Kagome as a sister.  
"What am I expected to do? I will not be 'applying' to be Inuyasha's mate if Kagome fails. Will there be any 'applying' for Lord Sesshomaru tonight?" The last sentence hurt for Rin to say. Her Lord was supposed to stay with her forever, even if they could never be a couple. A woman would force her away, or even worse want to marry her off. And the thought of being forced to apply for Inuyasha’s hand made her stomach churn. She knew from her lessons with Kagome that it was not uncommon for wards to marry into the family that protected them and she knew that it would shatter Kagome if Rin was made Inuyasha’s mate.  
"No, tonight's ceremony is just for Lord Inuyahsa. You will just stand by Lord Sesshomaru and watch if you wish not to apply. Let's go ahead and get you ready. The ceremony starts after sundown. So we don't have very long." And so Rei guided the young woman to a unseen vanity, gathering the materials and kimonos that she would need to prep the young woman.  
Rei took her time getting the young human ready. She had heard of the young woman from Jaken and was expecting an ignorant, spoiled child. She had heard tales that Lord Sesshomaru favoured the young woman throughout her childhood before leaving her in the village and he assumed that the spoiled behaviour had continued. But Rin proved to be anything but that. Yes, she was naive in the ways of demons but the panther demon could understand that. Rin had spent her childhood only being exposed to the Lord and the nasty demons that threatened the land. The later part of her life was spent hunting those dreaded demons and training to impress her lord.  
As the young woman bathed, Rei took the time to glance around the room, noting that only the bare necessities were here.  
Jaken must have put the room together. I will have to fix that.  
The panther demon spent a moment, organizing a list in her mind of what was needed. When Rin came out of the bath, a look of dread came over her as she saw Rei lay out the multi layered kimono.  
"Are all of these layers really necessary? They get so heavy after awhile and the top layers rip and tear so easily." Rei giggled to herself before she motioned for the slayer to stand in front of the mirror. She took a moment to look Rin over as the woman pulled the first layer on, learning what she could off the young human's body. She was not soft and supple like the women Rei usually served in the castle. Rin was tanned, and while her skin shinned like it was taken care of, it was not scar free like a lady of high stature. While she was not covered in scars, one large thin scar ran down her back, and a few claw marks were faded from her shoulders and upper arms. She was obviously muscled, but somehow retained her curves, a feat that many of the female warriors she knew complained about losing. As Rei finished helping her into the kimono layers, she came to the conclusion that Rin had retained an almost naive femininity while being a strong and assured warrior.  
Rin meanwhile was reliving her experience with the layered kimono. Kagome had requested that she be the official witness for her miko acceptance ceremony. The edges of the kimono were tattered by the end, catching and ripping on anything in her path. She had realized long ago that she was made more for the grace of the battlefield than the grace of the court.  
"Demon fabrics are much different than those made by human hands." Rei helped the human into the first layer. "The silk produced by spider demons is much stronger than human silk worms." Rin was entranced by the panther demons voice, no longer worried that there were seven delicate layers to the kimono. "The top layers may be thin but they will never rip over rough terrain, which is good since there is a bit of a walk to the statue." Rei had moved onto Rin's hair and pulled it back into an elaborate braid that reached her mid back.  
"Thank you Rei." Rin looked at herself in the mirror, and watched as the kimono fanned out as she twirled. There was no heavy weight bearing down on her shoulders and the top layer did not rip as it caught on the mirror's edge. Rei stood back, watching the young girl spin and realized that maybe this assignment wouldn't be the hell that everyone seemed convinced it would be. The girl finally stopped twirling as there was a knock on the door.  
"Come in!" The door slid open to reveal Jaken, dressed in a nicer version of what he normally wore on their travels, and the staff of two heads gleamed as though it had just been polished. He seemed shocked for a moment as he took in Rin, before shaking his head and calling out to her.  
"Come on, you insolent human! We will be late if we do not leave now." Rin nodded her head, saying goodbye to Rei as she walked out, being extra careful to not step on the elegant kimono. Rei watched the young woman leave with a grace that should not have been natural to such a young human. But Rei assumed that years of slayer training could turn a normally clumsy species into graceful beings.  
Rin followed Jaken through the halls, taking note of important rooms that the toad demon would point out. She learned that her lord's chambers were just down the hall from hers and his study was in between the two bed chambers. The slayer blushed at the thought of her lord, trying to forget that there were dozens of women here vying for his love and attention. After what seemed like a never ending walk, the odd pair ended up taking a long staircase down to one of the fields in the side of the mountain.  
This field was on the opposite side of the building to Rin's rooms, so she had not gotten a chance to see it before. It was a large area, capable of holding hundreds of demons if needed. There were flowers along the edges of the field that immediately caught Rin's attention. But what truly amazed her was what was standing in the center of the field.  
The statue could have been a person, had it held any color. It was life sized, standing as tall, if not a bit taller, than Lord Sesshomaru. The demon it portrayed had the same markings as Sesshomaru and it seemed to give off the aura of a living being. It's arms were crossed and its sight was directed to where her lord stood, and Rin wondered how this statue would determine the rest of their lives. Rin remembered passing a tapestry on the way to the ceremony, depicting a transformed dog demon, and wondered if it was the same man.  
"Rin!" Rin turned to look at Jaken. "Follow me, girl! We must not make Lord Sesshomaru wait!" And that was when she took notice of the other beings that surrounded them. The cold, unfeeling eyes of dozens of demons followed her every movement across the field. If she had not had training, she probably would have broken down and ran, doing anything she could to get away from the huge demonic aura. But her training allowed her to hold her head high, and follow Jaken through the mass of parting demons. When she finally exited the pack of demons, Rin took her place to her lord's right, unwavering.  
Sesshomaru looked no different than when he traveled. From what Rin could tell, his only difference was the material that the outfit was made from. It seemed to flow like Rin's kimono, telling her it was probably made from the same spider demon silk. Kagome and Inuyasha stood to the left of Sesshomaru, depicting Inuyasha's status as the heir to the lands. Kagome stood next to him, dressed in a similar style kimono as Rin. Hers held the base white color, and had sakura leaves floating over the dress, seeming to blow in the wind as her kimono drifted around her. She had a hand resting on her stomach, and was looking out at the other demonesses, seemingly trying to warn them away from her husband. The sun set under the trees, and Sesshomaru's booming voice was heard throughout the field.  
"Let the ceremony begin." Fireflies and lanterns were the only things that lit the field but Rin could see every detail as though the sun still shined. An aged dog demon stepped out from the crowd and started to speak.  
"Tonight will determine the course of the next few years. When Lord Inuyasha's mate is chosen, the season will begin. This statue of Inutaisho will determine who that mate will be." There were whispers throughout the crowd, and it seemed as though not everyone was informed of the process. A few faceless people screamed out over the rest, questioning the methods or demanding that their daughters be tested first.  
"Silence!" Sesshomaru's annoyed tone quieted every person, and the old demon inclined his head in thanks.  
"As I was saying, this statue will determine all of our fates. Anyone seeking to have a mate, that resides in the west, must come here to be tested. In the last mating season, many people came together only to find that their pairing should have never been, this will eliminate the problem. First the man must share his blood with the statute." A loud creaking filled the area as the statue moved to stretch out its hand. Inuyasha stepped forward, taking a small knife from the old man and slicing his palm, letting the blood drip onto the outstretched hand. There was a brief pause and suddenly the statue moved again, inclining its hand towards his son. "If Inutaisho responds as he just has, then the male is considered worthy of applying for a mate. Then the same will happen with the woman." Kagome slowly moved towards the statue as the man continued to speak. "If Inutaisho looks up and makes a fist at the placement of the woman's blood then she has been accepted. If he returns to his previous position, then the woman has been denied." Kagome had reached the statue and was taking the blade from Inuyasha when a voice came over the crowd.  
"My daughter deserves to be tested before that human!" Rin stood stock still as a wolf demon pushed his way through the crowd, his daughter trailing behind. There was no way for Rin to describe the woman’s beauty. She was taller than Rin, and as she brushed by them Rin was assaulted with the smell of jasmine. The daughter walked with a grace and beauty Rin thought impossible, her kimono seemed to float around her, giving her an ethereal glow. Her hair was the color of the sun, and Rin could put no name to it. The girl's eyes were a striking blue, but they held a coldness that made Rin shiver.  
"And why do you say this, Lord Raukan?" The wolf demon pulled an old looking scroll out of his top, and handed it to the old man.  
"This is an agreement signed by Inutaisho himself saying that my daughter, Emiko, would be given the chance to apply for one of his son's first." Whispers broke out through the crowd as the man hobbled over to Sesshomaru. When he was close to the Rin could feel that even though the man was aging, did not mean that his power had lessened.  
"Is this authentic Lord Sesshomaru?" The man handed the scroll to him, and Sesshomaru took it. After a few moments of looking over the writing he nodded his head. A smile broke out over the wolf demonesses face as the man hobbled back and handed the girl the dagger. Kagome stepped back from the statue as the girl approached, and even Rin could hear the miko start to hyperventilate. Rin looked worriedly at Kagome and cursed the fact that she could not leave her Lord's side. Emiko slit her hand, letting out a small whimper at the tiny cut. Rin held her breath as everything seemed to slow down. The blood hit the outstretched hand and for a moment nothing happened. Then with a sudden jolt the statue returned to it previous position, arms crossed and glaring down at Emiko.  
"Your daughter has been rejected." The old man’s words echoed throughout the field before Emiko broke down, throwing a minor temper tantrum. She was quickly removed from the field, along with her cursing father. "Kagome." The young miko looked up to see the statue with an outstretched hand, head inclined and waiting. The pregnant woman reached down to pick up the fallen dagger, and stood while cutting her palm. Her blood dripped down mixing with Inuyasha's and Emiko's. There was a pregnant pause as everyone stood, waiting to see what would happen. Kagome let out a cry, shocking everyone from their trance to see the statue looking the miko in the eye, a clenched fist reaching out towards her. Rin let out a breath that she did not realize she had been holding as Kagome turned to hug her husband. Rin was happy knowing that her friend had been given the chance to grow old with her lover, but she could not help but feel jealousy creep in again. As everyone settled down, there was a bit of an uproar as Rin had taken her eyes off the crowd and put them towards the happy couple. The old man still stood near the statue and proclaimed.  
"This ceremony has concluded, we will reconvene here in two weeks time to start the process for Lord Sesshomaru. Only two women can be tested a night and the women will be hand picked by Sesshomaru himself. " With that the crowds started to disperse and Rin turned to speak to her lord, but he was gone, already heading up the stairs and back into the palace.  
The young demon slayer returned to her rooms to find Rei waiting for her to assist her in getting out of the kimono. Rin fell asleep that night with tears streaming down her face, silently mourning the impending loss of her lord. Unbeknownst to her, a daiyoukai sat awake just down the hall, wondering what had made so many tears fall from his wards eyes.  
Rin woke the next morning to a pounding head. The tears she had shed the night before had caused her eyes to swell and her head to ache. She rose from her bed, and used some of the ever hot water from her bath to clean her face, hoping it would calm her puffy eyes and wash away the smell of salt. By the time she was done scrubbing her face Rei had entered her bed chambers with her clean uniform.  
"Thank you for cleaning that Rei. I would do it myself but I have no idea where the laundry is." Rei gave the young slayer an offended look.  
"You should never have to do your own laundry, Rin. At least while you are here. It is my duty to take care of that for you and make sure that you are comfortable." Rin nodded, simply accepting the fact that the woman would do what she wanted no matter how much Rin protested. Rin had asked Sango why some people were like this, so willing to serve people. She said that most had never had a chance to taste freedom and were raised to be servants and serve others, and it made them happy. Rin was snapped out of her trance when Rei spoke.  
"We need to leave soon, Rin. Breakfast will start soon and Lord Sesshomaru will want to speak with you about your duties here in the castle." A lump made its way into Rin's throat, wondering what her duties would be. Oh who are you kidding Rin, you are scared shitless that our lord will reject you. Rin quietly cursed her conscious before slipping into her uniforms and strapping on her sword. As the pair walked towards the dining hall, Rei explained what would go on.  
"You will sit to our lord's right, as you did last night. Lord Inuyasha and Lady Kagome will not be here this morning as the mating ritual takes a few days to complete. And in her present state Lord Inuyasha will have to be careful." Rin paused, trying to erase the mental image of two of her closest friends doing the dirty.  
As the pair approached the dining hall, Rin took a deep calming breath. She hoped that the demonesses would be absent from breakfast but she knew that it would be too much to ask. Rei fell behind Rin, hoping to show that Rin had status here from the simple gesture. The panther demon did not want the young girl to be trampled over by the power whores sitting in the dining room.  
Rin stepped into the hall, taking note of the three different tables. (Okay fair warning here people, I am just a wee bit unknowing of Japanese ways/culture so if I totally mess up something please tell me so that I can fix it) The demons in the hall seemed to pay no mind to Rin as she quietly made her way over to her lord. She sank into her seat next to him, trying to pay no mind to the fact that a panther demoness was attempting to hang all over him. The demoness, who Rin learned name was Mizuki, was doing everything for Sesshomaru. She barely seemed to allow the man to feed himself. Why does he let her do that? I was hardly ever allowed to treat his wounds, let alone feed the man! Then Rin was quite literally shaken from her trance.  
"What are you doing in my seat, hmm?" Mizuki was looking down at the demon slayer with distaste. When Rin simply brushed the woman's hand off her shoulder and reached for some rice, Mizuki reached out to grab the girl's wrist. "I said what are you doing in my seat!" The people around them had grown quiet, wondering what the little human would do against a demoness.  
"This is my seat, Lady Mizuki. Unless you have suddenly become a ward of Lord Sesshomaru's, I suggest you find a seat elsewhere." Rin, quite violently, ripped her wrist away from the demoness, hearing a loud pop as Mizuki's wrist was dislocated from the force of the pull, which only made the demon slayer smile. Mizuki pulled her hand close to her body but leaned down to whisper in the slayers ear.  
"Do not think you will get away with this, human." Rin ignored the woman, preferring to spoon out her rice for breakfast. The bustle of the room stopped suddenly and everyone's gaze was turned towards Rin. The young woman was confused for a moment until a low, menacing growl rang out through the quiet hall.  
"Rin will be disciplined by this Sesshomaru, and he alone." Rin turned, taking in the sight of her lord. His face was stern and his eyes burned with an emotion that Rin could not place. She followed the gaze to Mizuki, who's injured wrist was being crushed in Sesshomaru's hand. The demoness let out a low whimper and bowed her head, acknowledging her place under Sesshomaru. The demon lord growled once more before releasing the woman, turning back to his food as Mizuki scrambled out of the hall. There was an awkward pause as everyone seemed to debate on whether it was proper to speak, when suddenly things returned to how they were and the group seemed to forget what had just happened. Rin heard a muffled cough from her right and turned to find Haruko sitting down next to her.  
"Good morning slayer." He was reaching for his food and Rin responded in kind.  
"Good morning Commander Haruko." That was the extent of their conversation as the two finished their breakfasts. Rin rose when Sesshomaru did, and as she stood Haruko called out to her.  
"When you are done with your meeting with Lord Sesshomaru, would you mind joining us on the training field? There are a few of our men that could learn a thing or two from you." He sent her a smile and the slayer nodded as she trailed behind her lord. The two walked through the halls in a comfortable silence, and when they arrived at his office, Rin stood before her lord praying that he would not notice her inner turmoil. If she was honest with herself, Rin had never been more scared in her life. Not even when that rabid dog demon from two years ago had her pinned to the ground and a knife to her throat. Why do you still seek his approval Rin? You will never get it, he will choose a demoness and toss you to the side like bad meat. The slayer tried to ignore her consciousness and snapped her attention to her lord as he started to speak.  
"This Sesshomaru will only have this conversation once Rin." Rin nodded and waited for him to continue. He sat behind his desk, sifting through papers for a minute before he spoke again. "Did Inuyasha treat you well in the village?" There was a softer tone to Sesshomaru's voice that had Rin reeling. The young woman tried to contain her astonishment, but nodded her head slowly, not sure that her mouth would work. "Good. Did you have any formal lessons, or will this Sesshomaru have to arrange lessons for you?" Rin swallowed, and prayed her voice would not crack. It seems like he actually might care!  
"Kagome taught me the ways of the human courts, and their traditions, but I know little to nothing about the workings of the demon courts and their rituals." The daiyoukai nodded and grabbed a scroll from his left and shifted it to a different pile.  
"You will have lessons twice a week with one of the traveling teachers that are staying in our palace." The dog demon looked up from his work to take in Rin, who was standing proud, hoping to impress her lord.  
"Would it be alright if I had the lessons everyday my lord?" The dog demon raised an eyebrow at the young woman and she took that as a sign to elaborate. "I would like to learn everything as quickly as possible, the faster I learn the traditions the faster the lessons will be out of the way of my training. I have no desire to fall behind, and Haruko mentioned something about teaching some of the men."  
"That is your next responsibility Rin. You will train with the army men, and assist as needed with their training." Rin didn't think that her heart could take another compliment from her lord. He thinks that I am useful! Sesshomaru looked down at the scrolls, shifting some, but made no move to look at or speak to Rin.  
Rin took that as her cue to leave, saddened that she had to leave, but still reeling from the compliments that seemed to spill from her lord. It was a bit of a walk for Rin to get to the training field. Her first obstacle was that fact that she had no idea how to navigate the massive castle. After passing more lovely demonesses, and her mood slowly sinking, Rin happened upon Rei. Rei escorted her to the side of the mountain visible from her rooms and out to one of the platforms that Rin had been admiring the day before.  
"This is where Haruko always holds his trainings, there was a buzz among the men when they realized you would be training with them today." Rin smiled at the panther demon, and took a moment to look around the platform. Men were in training gear, but were using real katanas, not the wooden practice ones. She spotted a flash of red hair through the crowd of training men to see Haruko push another demon to the ground. Rin started her way over, sidestepping around the groups to make her way towards Haruko. Rei stood off near the door, eager to see Rin battle.  
"Rin!" Haruko paused his training to look at the young woman approaching him. "Come to train with us?" The demon seemed excited and Rin smiled at him.  
"Yep! Lord Sesshomaru told me that training is now one of my duties, so I will need to speak with you or Daisuke about a schedule around my other lessons." Haruko continued to rattle on in his excitement, saying a lot, yet nothing at the same time. The man reminded Rin of her childhood excitement for everything. She smiled at him as he continued on, taking note of the other demons around them. Most of them seemed to be younger, possibly new recruits to the army. No one arua stood out besides Haruko, but as she looked around taking note of how many people were on the platform her math came out wrong. She was sensing 30 individuals ranging from Rei's peaceful aura off to the side and Haruko's stronger more mature aura. Rin gripped her sword's hilt, ready to move at any moment.  
There was a shift in the air near her, and Rin sidestepped just in time to see a blade slash through the air and sink into the ground. Haruko stilled in front of her, and looked up to see Rins calm and collected face. Rin could see the question floating in Haruko's eyes how had she known? But the facts were quite simple, Rin had sensed 30 different people on the platform, so why did her eyes tell her there were 31 standing around her?  
Rin turned to take in the sight of her attacker. He appeared to be an older demon, looking like he would be in his forties should he have been human. Though, Rin hd learnt long ago to never judge a demon by its apparent age. The demon pulled his sword from the Earth, righting himself.  
"You have good reflexes, slayer." The man was putting his sword back and made no obvious move to attack again. Don't let your guard down Rin, the last time you did so you almost died. The demon slayer repressed the urge to shiver as that particular memory came flooding back to her. It had been one of her first solo missions, a routine check on the border when a lone wolf demon had wandered across her path. The wolf had appeared injured, and simply asked for a bit of help before continuing on its way to join Koagas pack. When she dismounted from her horse and approached the man, sword still undrawn, he attacked. She still carried the scars from her shoulders to her elbows from the claws he sank into her.  
But now was not the time to reminisce on old failures, she needed to concentrate on the threat in front of them.  
The man appeared to be a dog demon, his crescent moon was faced the opposite direction of her lord's again and his stripes could be seen wrapping their way around his wrists.  
"And who are you, dog?" Rin heard Haruko gasp behind her, and she assumed that the man in front of her was someone of standing in the army. Not one soldier had moved to attack and Haruko was simply staring at the man in wonder.  
"My name is General Makoto, I am the leader of the Army of the West." The man stood as tall as Sesshomaru, with the same white-silver hair. The man’s blue eyes also seemed to be scanning over Rin, assessing her and watching her every move. But Rin reminded herself that this was not the time to analyze exactly how the man looked and spoke to him.  
"Why do you attack me from behind? In my village an attack like that would have extreme punishments. No one attacks a warrior from behind during conversation, where innocents could be hurt. An attack from behind only comes from an enemy wishing to kill or lose their head." The small girl did not back down from the man, simply straightened herself and tried to grow to her full height. Though her height was not impressive the intention behind it was caught by the other man.  
"It is a part of every demons training. If you are to train my men, and claim to be Utsukushī Kirā, then you must be tested to make sure that you are worthy." The demon copied Rin's movements, standing to his full height and stared down at the young girl.  
"Lord Sesshomaru has already given me permission to train the men, and I am to go through Haruko or Commander Daisuke, not you. So if you would leave, I can continue on with my conversation." Rin promptly turned to face Haruko, ignoring the man behind her. "Haruko?" The young demon snapped out of his reverie and looked to Rin.  
"Yes, Rin?" The dog demon seemed unsure of himself, but seemed to quickly remember that as a ward of Lord Sesshomaru's, Rin had more power than his commanding officer.  
"I am going to be taking etiquette lessons over the next few weeks," There was a scoff form behind the girl, and as the dog general walked away she heard a mumbled comment about her desperately needing them. "and I need to coordinate with you about what time training sessions are at so that I can plan accordingly." There was a slight shift in the air, and once again Rin was forced to move aside quickly.  
But instead of calmly turning and glaring at the man as she had before, her sword was drawn and plunged into the bicep of General Makoto's left arm. The demon general looked at Rin in muddled disbelief. Rin withdrew her sword, a squishing sound echoed throughout the platform as she did so. Blood poured from the wound, and General Makoto stood while applying pressure to the wound.  
"Not even six inches to the left and you would be dead now Makoto. Or even two inches down into the crook of your elbow and I could have cost you your sword arm." The young woman looked at the dog demon raising an eyebrow, daring him to attack again. The demon simply bowed before making his way off of the platform. The men around them simply stared, watching the great demon general they had all feared since childhood give in to a small human woman. "Well! What are you waiting for?! Back to your drills!" The men were shocked out of their stupor by Rin's commanding voice and returned to their drills, more enthusiastic than before.  
"Well Rin, you sure know how to stir up a boring routine!" Haruko was looking at Rin with awe as he continued. "We normally do an early morning run/course with the men, and do their sword training before midday, and continue on with anything that the individuals need after super." Haruko started to walk and talk with Rin, pointing out mistakes to some of the men and correcting them. "These are our latest batch of recruits. They have not been officially accepted into the army yet, and are simply being tested to see where they could best be placed." By now the pair had made a full circuit around the platform, and Rin spoke up.  
"Surely these are not all of the recruits?" The small group of 27 men had been given a reprieve and were gulping down water and a quick snack off to the side.  
"No, these are just my recruits. Daisuke, General Makoto and I all take a certain group and try to see who can raise the right recruits and have the most accepted into the army. Think of it as a rivalry if you will. It keeps us on our A game and benefits the recruits as well." The men had finished their break, and returned to form three lines before the slayer and demon.  
"How many of you truly wish to serve in Lord Sesshomaru's army?" There was a mumble of confusion before arms were tentatively raised. Every man raised his arm eventually, and Rin separated the men into groups of how fast they had raised their hand, and the amount of determination they had in their eyes. There came out to be three groups, those who had shot their hand in the air and seemed ready to jump into battle now, the slower but still determined bunch, and then the slowest bunch that seemed a bit hesitant.  
"Why are you five hesitant?" The slowest group looked at her, before one stepped forward and spoke for the group.  
"Our parents have pressured our application. We wish to serve but wish that we could have made the decision on our own." There was a mumble of agreement before Rin redistributed the men into the other two groups. The groups were then counted off by two's and separated them into the group of one's and two's.  
"I have decided that even though you are a new bunch of recruits, you are now my new bunch of recruits, along with Haruko." She glanced over at Haruko, making sure that he was fine with her statement. The man seemed giddy and humor swam in his eyes. "So we will be having a mock battle after lunch. And I hope you savour your lunch." No one mumbled, but there was a question hanging in the air around them. A wicked smile made its way onto Rin's face. "Because the winning team gets to eat with me at supper," There was an appreciative glance at Rin along with a small swell of the mens good mood. "The losing team, " Rin glanced around at the men, noting their apprehension. "doesn't eat tonight."  
Rei dutifully followed Rin throughout the day, and when she sat to eat at lunch and observed the men, she had never seen two groups look quite so determined. She was not present for the mock battle, as she had to attend to her duties with Lord Inuyasha, but she was told later by Rin that it was sight to behold. She had never eaten with a group of military men before, as she was never needed in the barracks, but that night she along with Rin, dined with the men. It was a new, but not unwanted, experience for Rei. Rin slipped in with the group of recruits easily, giving tips to both the winning and losing men and laughing throughout the night.  
Had Rin paid any mind to the people around her as she went back to her rooms, her happy mood would have left her. A pair of eyes watched her from the shadows and they were filled with hate, while a pair of amber eyes from the rooms just down the hall, stared at her in wonder at what she had become before the ice returned and he retired to bed.  
The next morning Rin awoke to Rei waiting for her, along with a scroll from Sesshomaru. Her lessons were to begin that day after lunch. Rin was relieved that the lessons should not interfere with her other commitments. Rei had laid out Rin's uniform, but this one was different than her normal attire.  
"Rei, why is this a different material than normal? It feels stronger, but lighter." Rin was holding the new uniform, pulling at the fabric and watching as it stretched then returned to its previous state.  
"Lord Sesshomaru ordered new uniforms for you. Your two uniforms would never be enough for while you are here. This material is stronger and will act as a kind of weak armour." Rin stared at the fabric, smiling brightly at the thought of her lord worrying over her. "Lady Rin?" Rin snapped out of her reverie to glance at Rei. "If we want to make it to the men’s morning run then we must hurry, they start at dawn." The young demon slayer was quick to throw on her new uniform and rush out the door, Rei following her at a slower pace.  
The women made it to the group with a few moments to spare, and Rei took her place off to the side to watch. The men were apprehensive, knowing that the slayer had been hard on them after their mock battle and they were unaware of what would happen this morning. Rin joined the group, starting off at a run and hollering at the men for them to follow. Haruko had told Rin the night before that these were the men who were the least likely to get into the army. Haruko was always given the lesser group of the three and told to simply entertain them until the try-outs. But Rin had other plans for her men. When other groups had only just awoken, her group would be on their way back to the barracks from running to the village and back.  
Rei was astounded by the amount of energy that poured from her Lady. She watched the men run every morning and watched them train throughout the day, waiting to be needed. Her human had the grace of a demon and the stamina, and only lacked the demonic power. But there was still excitement left to be found on Rin's first day of classes.  
Rei had dressed her in an orange kimono with a green obi. Rin liked to think of it as a grown up version to what she had worn as a child, there were long flowing sleeves and the bottom seemed to float around her. Rei held on to her sword for her, even though she was training to be a lady she was a slayer first. And a slayer was never without her weapon. Rei felt awkward having the sword on her hip but the panther demon took the duty in stride, knowing that it was what Rin wanted.  
When the two appeared at the doors for her lessons, Rin took a deep breath and 'felt' out the area. She found that there were guards walking the halls from many different regions, and that there were three other demonesses in the room she was about to enter. Rin opened the doors to the room, noting the empty space for her to sit at and a spot in a corner that she instructed Rei to stand near. Then Rin took a moment to look at the three other women. Mizuki and Emiko both sat opposite from where Rin was sitting. But there was an unknown face next to her that Rin turned to speak.  
"Hello, my name is Rin Takashi!" Rin stuck out her hand towards the other young woman and the girl timidly shook her hand.  
"Hello. I am Akari. Where...where are you from?" The demoness seemed nervous to strike up a conversation.  
"I am from the western lands, but I am just a human. I am Lord Sesshomaru's ward and I have been training in another village for quite some time, that is why you may not have seen me before this." Rin gave a bright smile to the girl and tried to ignore the other women in the room as they whispered to each other."How old are you? I'm eighteen."  
"I am 15, if you translate it to your years." The girl was a bit more confident with herself as she and Rin continued on with their conversation. Small facts were slowly drawn out of the girl as they waited for the teacher to arrive. The young girl was actually Mizuki's younger sister, but she liked to keep that fact out of the way, as she did not always agree with how she acted. She was here with her family while they waited for Mizuki to be tested, but Akari herself would not be tested. The younger panther demoness was much kinder than her sister, and freely spoke with Rin about the going ons of the panther demon country (just a bit farther to the east where abundant forests could be found). When the aging dog demoness that was to be their teacher arrived, she carried an air of power with her that immediately ceased all conversation.  
"While you are here there will be no speaking unless spoken too, am I understood." The four girls all straightened in their seats and responded with a quiet, but sure, yes ma'm. "I have been told that you four are all on different levels of teaching, but since your day to day schedules and other duties interfere with my other teaching times, you will all be taught together." Emiko and Mizuki both let out a resounding groan, resulting in a stern glare from the teacher. "To those of you who do not know, my name is Lady Midori. I only have your names but know little else about you. So for today, I simply want you four to briefly talk about yourself and any training you may have received." Lady Midori looked pointedly at Emiko, who took that as her cue to start.  
"My name is Nagazane Emiko, and I am the current heiress to the wolf demon clan from the south." Her voice lowered and there was a mumble about the south being more civilized than the Northern tribe, before she re-raised her voice and continued. "I have been receiving training to become Lady of the South since my birth. I am here to apply for being Lord Sesshomaru's mate." The girl gave Rin a pointed look after this statement and Rin stared right back at the girl.  
"Well, my name is Lady Yoritoki Mizuki. I am the current heiress to the panther demon clan to the East." The girls high pitched voice seemed to irritate Lady Midori as much as it did Rin. "I have been receiving training to become Lady of the East," There was a quick mumble of what sounded like 'and the west' before she continued. "since my birth. I am also here to apply for Lord Sesshomaru." The girl attempted to glare at Rin, who had grown up under Lord Sesshomaru's care and knew how to properly glare at someone. When Mizuki backed down first, Rin swore she hear Lady Midori let out a giggle.  
"My name is Yoritoki Akari, and my father has given me the title of Warrior Princess." The girl trailed off at the end, as though she might be ashamed of her title. The glare her older sister gave her seemed to reaffirm that thought.  
"There is nothing to be ashamed of my dear." Lady Midori spoke to the youngest girl with a soft tone. "And as a warrior princess you will need extra training and any man who is lucky enough to win your hand will be honored." The small speech from Lady Midori seemed to raise her spirits enough for her to continue.  
"I have been receiving training for about half of my life on the duties that I would need as a lady. My father has always given me more instruction on my physical training." Lady Midori nodded, then turned to Rin.  
"My name is Takasi Rin." Rin heard Emiko mumble something about having a peasants name but a glare from both Rin and Lady Midori quieted her. "For the past eight years I have been receiving a variety of training. I have two years of healing training, and for the past six I have been receiving training as a demon slayer and the ways of the human court. I am also a ward of Lord Sesshomaru's." Lady Midori nodded at the demon slayer before speaking again.  
"Alright, just from that information I will be splitting you up on how many days of training you need. Rin and Akari, you will have lesson's daily as you need more focus and Lord Sesshomaru has expressed his wish for you to take over some of the runnings of the palace, so your training will be expedient." Emiko and Mizuki glared at Rin again, and were once again reminded of who grew up with the king of glares. "Emiko and Mizuki, you will come only three times a week until I know the exact extent of your knowledge." The aging demoness the released the girls and watched as they all left, their servants falling in line behind them. Both Akari and Rin's servants handed over the girls swords and they both giggled when they realized the other was doing the exact same. Thier teacher watched them as they walked away, taking note to watch Rin. Lady Midori may be old, but she knew that when her lord approached her personally about expediting Rin's training, the young human was destined for great things.  
The next week and a half continued on for the young demon slayer. Rei watched as she molded the men for their selection, and as they slowly but surely were out passing the other two groups in both strength and the amount of training they did.  
It was the day of the first lesson when the hateful eyes gained a partner and utilized that week and a half to formulate a plan.  
Sesshomaru awoke three days before the begining of the ceremonies, and his head was already pounding. Every morning he was accosted by women, trying to get in his good graces. Before mating season had come, he had been free to stay or leave and travel his borders. The daiyoukai knew that leading his state was just as important as defending it, but politicians were so demanding. While he traveled he need only worry about himself... and Rin.  
Rin had been an issue in her youth, before she re-learnt speech. The young girl needed almost everything done for her, before Jaken had taken it upon himself to teach the girl how to survive. Then the child had grown into a teen, and he had to leave her in the human village. Rin had always been dependent on her lord to keep her alive. But as she grew into her teens she slowly could take care of herself completely, and her body was changing from a child's to a woman's and she needed a woman to guide her through the process.  
That is not the reason why you abandoned the young woman, Sesshomaru. You desired her. Sesshomaru cursed his inner demon, it was too early in the morning to be exploring his feelings for the young girl.  
She was just a child then, I could not have wanted her.  
But you continued to return to watch her as she grew, you even killed off her most charming suitors.  
She never wanted them! Sesshomaru was astonished by the possessiveness that filled his inner thoughts and a ruh of heat through his veins. His inner demon merely cackled before Sesshomaru continued. I was eliminating a problem. And they all knew that she way MY ward, they should have come through me before they asked her themselves.  
But that is still no reason to kill them all Sesshomaru, merely deny them what they want and continuing on your way would have been the better option.  
By now Sesshomaru had made it to the dining hall and was growling to himself as he sank into his seat. No one in the room should have sensed his inner turmoil, but Rin seemed to see him coming and already had a steaming cup of tea prepared for him. The young woman (That's right woman, Sesshomaru, another growl was let loose but Rin paid it no mind) smiled cheerily at him and wished him a good morning. He gave her his normal Hn back and that seemed to brighten her smile even more. The pair had developed a routine, that everyone seemed to know but never spoke of.  
Rin had taken on her men and would go about her day as usual, with the added responsibility of taking her lord his tea before midday. Sesshomaru spent most of his time in his office, situated between his and Rin's chambers. Before lunch he would meet with his generals and other advisors to work out any new policies for the state After lunch he, unfortunately, had to deal with the many demonesses vying for his attention. Between the headache causing monsters (I mean ladies), he would watch Rin train his men. He was looking out for her safety and making sure that she was properly taking care of his men.  
Do not lie in your own head Sesshomaru, you watch the girl because you care for her. She can take care of herself, you know that. She does these things only to please you.  
But there was no time for him to argue with his demon today, as he had been doing for the past week. His men were leaving him to his peace this morning until right before midday. They would be deciding on the order that the women would be tested then. But just because his men were leaving him alone, did not mean that the families of the girls were as well. Everyone knew that the choosing would be done today, and with there only being two spots per night, every one was trying to be put as soon as possible.  
Many different demons were shuffling in and out of the office by the time the meeting would occur. By that time the flowery smell that always wafted into his office from Rin's chambers was gone (not that he missed it or anything), replaced by the mixed smells of dozens of demons.Sesshomaru was the most feared demon in the West, and he had assumed that it would drive away at least some of the applicants, but it seemed to just attract more of them. He assumed it was the appeal of a stronger generation, and his mother had always pounded the rhetoric into his mind that he must continue with the best. His advisors trickled into his office as he pushed Lord Raukon from his office with a low growl, while the wolf demon continued to ask for his daughter to be tested first. The assembly of dog demons was finally complete upon the arrival of General Makoto, who was late due to an issue with his trainees.  
All of the men knew the look on Sesshomaru. He was sitting straight backed, his clawed hands clenched into fists. His face held a sneer and the men could feel his aura as it pulsed with anger. They had all gathered around his desk, and waited for his command to speak. The daiyoukai was currently pinching his nose, and attempting to take some deep breaths. At least Rin will be here soon with my tea. That woman knows how to make a good cup of tea. He finally leaned back in his chair and looked towards one of his advisors to start.  
"Well My Lord, there are currently twenty demonesses that remain at the castle that want to apply." Sesshomaru inwardly groaned and the advisor took a moment to let the number sink in before continuing. "We can have this all over in about ten days, if nothing goes wrong. All that is really left is to determine who should be tested first, and get them out of the palace as soon as possible. Your mate should be among the bunch of women that are currently here. If she is not..."  
"I do not think that we should worry about that now. Better to deal with it if the issue arises rather than worry about something that will more than likely not happen." Another advisor had stepped in to quiet the other. Sesshomaru had yet to memorize the men's names, but normally he left the dealings to them, and when he returned from his trips the men had switched out or died and been replaced. Really no point in learning them now. My mate will deal with these affairs.  
"Alright, that issue aside, how early do you want the women to leave after they have been denied? I want to announce this when the list goes up so that the families have time to prepare." Sesshomaru did not have to give this a second thought.  
"I want them gone by the next morning. The palace is already in disarray with so many different servants and I want the palace back to its old ways." The advisors nodded, and the oldest of them spoke up.  
"So we should work on the actual list." The men gave Sesshomaru a nervous glance and they started to bounce around names.  
Across the palace, in a small kitchen, Rin could be found taking a whistling pot of tea off the stove and prepping it for the men that accompanied her lord. She knew the importance of today and had made sure to supply enough tea to last them the entire meeting. As she walked through the halls she reviewed in her head the procedure she needed to do. The servant that had delivered Lord Sesshomaru's tea before gave her very specific instructions.  
She was to take the tea, being as quick and quiet as possible, to the door of his office. She would place the tray on the ground outside the sliding door, again making no noise. The only sounds that Rin was allowed to make was to knock three times at the door and then leave. Moving quietly was of no problem to Rin, for the past five days she had perfected the routine and learned how to avoid any squeaky boards.  
As she approached the room she heard the men's voices floating down the hallway. And the extra large tray that she carried today caused her to move slower, I mean it’s not my fault if I hear them. They know I am coming. Rin quieted her breathing and concentrated on missing the squeaky board and listening in on the men.  
"Are you sure that you want Lady Mizuki and Lady Emiko on the third day?" Rin tried to remain calm and slowly bent over to put the tray down.  
"Yes, the sooner they are gone the better." Rin was laughing so hard on the inside, but she would have to wait to let them out. So my lord wants them gone as bad as I do. The tray was successfully on the ground and she had reached to knock when General Makoto's voice raised.  
"I believe there may be a problem with your ward, Lord Sesshomaru." Rin froze, her hand centimeters away from the door.  
"Why is that, Makoto." Lord Sesshomaru's voice held an angry tone and Rin smiled. He's defending me!  
"Well, I was looking over the documents that your father left with the old rag that is running the ceremonies." There was a pause and Rin swore she heard a growl come from her lord. "I mean no disrespect my lord, but upon looking at the documents there is a clause that says that any wards of the state have to be tested first." Rin didn't think that her world could have changed any more that what had already happened, but things kept leaping at her. She swore the smile that lit up her face was as bright as the sun. "But it doesn't say that normal humans can apply. The miko seems to be an exception since she has powers in her blood. No one knows exactly how the statue works and when I asked the old dog, he said it was up to you whether she should be tested." There was a pause in conversation. Even the birds seemed to stop singing as Rin's life was about to change.  
"She will not be tested, ever." And with six small words, Rin's world shattered like a pane of glass. Before she could stop herself she had knocked on the door, and the men inside jumped. She knew that staying any longer would have given her away, and she rather her presence be known on her own terms. She was up and gone down the hallway before Makoto reached the door. He watched the human run down the hall, smelling the salt of her tears for a brief moment. It took everything in his being for him not to break out in maniacal laughter.  
"Who was it, General?" Sesshomaru's growl reached his ears and brought him back to reality.  
"No one my lord, just some servant dropping off your tea. It seems your ward was not available today." He turned, holding the tea tray. "I heard that she was having her group do extra training today, that might be why she was not here." Sesshomaru nodded, and the men sat back down, drinking their tea and talking politics.  
Rin had ran to her men's barracks, as they spoke over affairs of the state. They were sipping their tea as she broke down on the run. The advisors were laughing at the latest antics of the northern wolf tribe, as her men caught wind of her tears and ran to comfort her.  
Sesshomaru's demon growled at him, something is wrong with our woman. But the man ignored him. The last time something had been wrong with her, according to the demon, she had had a small argument with Haruko about the training regimen. So he ignored the pull ,knowing that nothing was really wrong. Little did he know that his ward was collapsed in the barracks, surrounded by her men, as her world fell to pieces.  
Later that night, Rei could be found pacing in her charge's chambers, trying to think of where else Rin could be. She had checked everywhere in the castle, but no one had seen her since midday. There was a moment of intuition as Rei realized the one place she hadn't looked. The Barracks! Rei tried her best not to look concerned as she headed out. Halfway to the barracks, Rei encountered one of Rin's men, pacing nervously in front of the main palace.  
"Rei! Thank the Kami's! Rin is in the barracks now, she can't stop crying. We have no idea what happened, and no one dared come looking for you and possibly alert Lord Sesshomaru. The only thing we can get out of her was that Lord Sesshomaru must never know." The young demon was dragging Rei along as he spoke. He seemed riddled with concern for his newest commander and within a few minutes the pair had reached the barracks.  
The sight that meet Rei at the door was almost enough to bring her to tears. The men in the room had pushed their futons and bunks off to the far side of the room and left a wide open space that now held the best futon. Rin was currently curled up on the futon, in the arms of one of older men as Haruko stood, his shirt stained with tears. There was food from the palace at the edge of the futon but it seemed untouched and cold. Haruko made his way over to Rei as Rin let out a loud sob and the gentleman holding her started to rub her back and whisper calming words.  
"Rei, I am so glad to see you." Haruko smelt strongly of tears, and seemed shaken.  
"What happened, Haruko? She was so happy this morning." The two spoke in whispered tones as the other men continued to move their things, giving Rin a wide berth.  
"She came here a little before lunch. We were all getting ready to leave when one of the men smelt tears and Rin coming our way. By the time she got here she was in hysterics. We cleared things out of the way and some of the older men with younger sisters offered her comfort. We just recently got her to let us transition between men every so often." Haruko was rubbing his lower back, proof that he had been stuck in one position for longer than he was used to. "We were hoping you would come looking here soon. She refuses to eat, and she starts crying anew every time someone says his name."  
"Let me try. I have been dealing with crying sisters for years." She flashed the man a smile, placing a hand on his arm in an attempt to convey her thanks. He graced her with a bright smile and started ushering the men out of the barrack. The one that held Rin, slowly transitioned her over to Rei, and when the last man left Rei began to speak.  
"Can you tell me what happened, Rin?" The young girl shook her head as the demoness rocked her, soothing her as new tears streaked down her already swollen cheeks. "Well, Haruko said that you do not want him to know about anything." The demon slayer nodded her head against Rei's shoulder. "Well then we need to get you cleaned up and back to your chambers, before he notices that you are missing. People are starting to whisper about your whereabouts." Rin nodded, slowly getting up as Rei stood.  
The girl was the epitome of broken down. Her hair was knotted and tangled, its length reduced to her shoulders rather than her mid-back. Her cheeks were streaked with tear tracks, and they were swollen and blotchy everywhere the tears had not reached. But the worst part was her eyes. Rei had always noticed the small fire that burnt in her eyes, so willing and determined to prove herself useful in the demon society. Now it seemed a bucket had been poured on that flame, so that not even the embers remained to relight it.  
It was a slow walk back to the palace and her chambers. Haruko ended up carrying the poor girl, as she broke down midway to her chambers. Whenever anyone asked, the story was that the demon slayer had hurt her hip during a training exercise and was unable to walk. Haruko stayed with the ladies until he was sure Rin would be okay, and then returned to the barracks to update his men.  
The night was rough for both Rei and Rin. Rin had collapsed into her bed, refusing to change or bathe, simply crying herself into a fitful sleep. Rei stayed in her rooms that night, calming the young woman when she would awake with fresh tears in her eyes. Haruko came after the men's morning run to inquire about how she was. He was quickly ushered out into the hallway and shushed by Rei.  
"How is she?" His voice was ladened with concern and Rei took a calming breath.  
"How do you think she is? I think she is hurting more than she ever has and it will take her a while to recover. The ceremonies won't help either. She doesn't want Lord Sesshomaru to know anything and it will be hard to do." Rei's head snapped down the hallway before she could continue and she ushered the demon back down the hallway. "We will talk about this later, Lord Sesshomaru just moved into his office." Little did the two know that he had heard the pair, concerned over where his ward was, and why the hall smelt so strongly of tears. He listened from his office as Rei coaxed Rin into the bathroom, and lost track of the conversation.  
Around lunch time, Rin finally found the will to drag herself out of bed. A long soak in the bath had her feeling like a new woman, and she was ready to brave the castle at large. She was surprised that no one glanced her way as she awkwardly sunk into her seat at the table. Rei had been kind and patient with her, helping her cover the tear tracks and listening as she had explained what happened. They had agreed to run with the story that she had hurt her hip at training and that if they had their way, Lord Sesshomaru would be none the wiser. You see how much they all care for you Rin? Do you see now that you will never belong here? Sesshomaru did not even look her way until he reached for his tea, and noticed that it was empty.  
He glanced at the young woman, taking in her tired eyes and slouched position but then paid her no mind. She will tell me what is wrong if it is serious. One of the other demoness was quick to make his tea, and he continued on with his lunch. Rin picked at her small plate of food, glaring at Haruko when he sent her a concerned glance. She was about to leave, tears were prickling her eyes, when she was pulled back down in her seat by her lord. The warmth of his hands surprised her, but she refused to look at him as she fell back into her seat. One of the advisors from the meeting stood and called for silence and attention.  
"The list for the order of testing is currently outside Lord Sesshomaru's office." Many of the people in the room made a move to burst out of the dining hall, but two guards blocked the way. "Please, we ask that only the heads of the family go to the list. This list is final, and the Lord will hear no plea's for a change in the order. After anyone has been tested, and they are rejected, you must leave by the next morning." Once again, people started to angrily mumble. "This is to avoid overcrowding. If a mate is found before your daughter's testing, then everyone will be asked to leave by the next day." The man then settled back down with his lunch as the heads of families headed off towards the list. Rin didn't notice that her Lord had not let go of her arm until the warm presence was gone, and she saw him out of the corner of her eye return to his lunch. The demon slayer rose, and as she stalked past her soliders table, they all abandoned their lunches to follow her out to their platform. When they arrived to the practice field, one of the men stepped forward from the rest.  
"Lady Rin," I will never get them to stop calling me that, will I? "We all wanted to know if you are alright? We have no need to know what happened, that is not our business. But we want to know if there is anyway we can help." Rin remembered the demon that had stepped forward as one that had comforted her the night before.  
"Thank you all for your kindness last night." The men all nodded at her as she graced them with a half smile. "But really, me hurting my hip in a training accident with Haruko yesterday is not that big of a deal." The men all nodded at her, taking the hint that if asked, this was their story. "Now, since I hurt myself by being so careless, I am simply going to be watching and reviewing you all throughout the next few days. Your acceptance ceremony will happen after Lord Sesshomaru has found a mate, or the ladies all leave ten days from now." The men looked nervous, and they all chose to ignore the waiver in their commander's voice as she said his name. "So training will be even more intense now. You have at least two days to train, and at most twelve. So stop standing around and get moving!" The demons pounced into their pairs and groups, glad to see the glint back in their commander's eyes as she ordered them around.  
But as Rei stood off to the side, she noticed the glint in Rin's eyes slowly fade, and how her smile never quite reached her eyes. The men seemed to be placated by her acting but Rei knew that anyone who looked deeper would find the hurt. About midway through the training session, a young servant came out to the platform and whispered something in Rei's ear. The panther demoness seemed displeased with whatever the boy had said and dismissed him rather coldly. She maneuvered her way through the men, by now used to gliding through their training to get to Rin.  
"Lady Rin," Rin turned to look at Rei, taken aback by the coldness in her eyes.  
"Yes, Rei?" It scared Rin to think that Rei could achieve a level of coldness not unlike his. But she had noticed over time, that every demon had this ability, a way to lock all emotions away but rage or whatever was most useful at that moment. It was a distinctly demon attribute, the near opposite of humans ability to feel too much and push through it all.  
"Lord Sesshomaru wishes to see you now" A look of pure fear flashed across Rin's eyes  
before a coldness, not unlike Rei's, settled in. "I have told his servant that you were busy with your men and that your hip injury could not handle the climb unless absolutely necessary. He went to tell his Lord and should be back soon with his response." Rin nodded, and Rei settled back into her place off to the side. The men had all stopped when their lord's name was dropped and a quick glare from Rin had them returning to their training as though they had never stopped. When the young boy returned a while later, he delivered his message to Rei and she once again made her way to Rin.  
"What did he say, Rei?" The young woman was tired, her sleep last night had been hard and filled with dreams of her lord's voice repeating that she would never truly be his. It was so much worse to Rin, now that she was here. If he had just left her in the village, she could have ideally moved on. Found a nice human boy to settle down with, had a few kids, or even just kept killing demons until one finally got the better of her. She had accepted that he would never come back, and then he did the worst thing he possibly could have done. He gave her hope, made her believe that she could spend the rest of her infinitesimal human life serving him, and die either in his service or knowing that she had at least been useful. It left a cold stone in her heart, and drove the heat from her eyes and spark for life.  
"He wishes to speak with you after dinner, before you retire for the night. I told the young boy that if you were feeling okay, you would be there." Rin nodded, and turned back to her men as Rei disappeared off the platform and into the palace.  
The men trained until they slowly, one by one, could not continue on. Rin spent most of her time passing around the field, needing to only point out issues with advanced moves and barely needing to speak. Maybe I’ll get lucky and after he mates I can join this group and travel for what time I have left. Dinner time had rolled around by the time the last demon fell from exhaustion and the whole group crawled their way into dinner. Sinking into her seat, Rin was surprised when her lord spoke as she reached to prepare their tea.  
"Learn to control your servant, Rin." The few people around them looked at the pair, Lord Sesshomaru almost never spoke during meals. Let alone to scorn his pet human. Wincing in both fake pain and the tone he used, Rin decided, fuck it.  
"Rei responds in the manner she does with my permission. Your servants have already been told that I do not wish to be interrupted during trainings unless it is a dire emergency. Unless you have forgotten, my injuries do not heal overnight." The bite in her voice surprised even Rin as she poured the tea into two cups. "This talk was obviously not important enough to warrant a servant's delivery when you were to see me at dinner and could have informed me yourself." The people around the pair started to whisper as the young girl basically told off her lord, and sat waiting to hear her punishment. The last time an advisor brought up that kind of tone to Sesshomaru, he had gutted him at the table and continued on with his meal as though nothing had ever happened. By now, they had the eyes of the whole court, though the two could not have told you that, so wrapped up in avoiding eye contact while arguing that the rest of the palace seemed to fall away.  
"Watch your tone, Rin." The growl that accompanied the statement reverberated throughout the dining hall as everyone quieted. They all stared at the pair, as they awaited her punishment. They all gasped as Rin stood, and limped out of the dining hall, and Sesshomaru made no move to stop her.  
Rin had abandoned her limp halfway through the castle, figuring that no one would see her, so why bother? Instead of heading to her room like she wanted to, she headed straight into Sesshomaru's office, taking a seat in front of his ornate desk. Rin took a moment to calm down, glancing around the room at the ornate and exotic things that decorated the office. Bakusaiga and Tenseiga's wall holder held her interest the longest, and they were obviously the only thing that Sesshomaru had chose himself. The rest of the office was dominated by large and ornate furniture, that made seem as though the West simply oozed wealth. The swords wall holders were muted and simple, making the swords themselves the focus. In her time traveling with her lord, he had never been one to become distracted by day to day items like a desk or overstuffed chair. While Bakusaiga was always at her lord's side, and it's holder was covered with dust, Tenseiga was sitting in its case, looking quite lonely.  
When Rin had first noticed the absence of the sword, she had inquired about it with Rei. Rei said that since Sesshomaru had left his young ward in the village, he had stopped carrying the sword. It had stayed locked away in the office, collecting dust for the past eight years. The demon slayer had not noticed that she had risen from her chair and was reaching out for the sword until the door to the office slammed open. She quickly snapped her hand back to her side, and made her way back over to the chair she had been occupying. Sesshomaru had made his way to his chair behind the desk and gave Rin an exacerbated look as he sat.  
"Why do you act this way, Rin? Are you not happy here?" The demon slayer was shocked by the kind tone in the daiyoukai's voice. He had never taken anything other than an indifferent tone with her. He had even adopted a slouched posture, one palm pressed to his forehead fingers wrapped into the top of his hair, the other limp at his side. Rin would almost say that he looked, defeated.  
"Pain has always made me testy." Rin had mumbled the last part of her statement, and even Sesshomaru's ears could not pick it up. She was obviously in a mood, and was in no rush to work with her lord and calm herself.  
"Repeat yourself, Rin. You are already pushing my limits." The daiyoukai's voice held an edge that demanded her obedience.  
"I said, that you would know that had you bothered to visit me." There was a sadness to Rin's voice that made his inner demon whimper.  
"You needed to learn how to survive in the human world, Rin. This place may not always be safe for you." Sesshomaru sounded exacerbated, and seemed extremely on edge. Rin stood up and started pacing, momentarily forgetting that she was supposed to be injured. The dog demon watched her pace, feeling the need to pull his hair, wondering where her anger had come from. His ward reminded him of a caged animal, pacing and growling in her own human way. This was not the first time that Sesshomaru wondered if he should have left her in the human village.  
"Well, I can take care of myself now. I learnt how to take care of myself when you abandoned me in that village, Sesshomaru." The drop of any type of title from the normally respectful woman seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. Sesshomaru was up and around his desk, invading Rin's personal bubble within the blink of an eye. His demonic aura pulsed with anger at regular intervals and, if she was honest with herself, it scared Rin.  
"I have warned you to watch your tongue, Rin." The demon slayer could feel his breath on her cheeks and she watched as red started to bleed into his golden eyes, giving them the effect of molten gold. The young woman held his golden gaze with her own cinnamon eyes, unwilling to look away and show her submission. But when a few moments passed, and her stomach started to tighten with an emotion far from anger, she stepped back from him. She prayed to the kami's that he would not notice the pheromones rolling off her body, but they hadn't listen to her prayers in a long time.  
"Why should I? It's not like you have ever cared." Rin stepped back farther from the demon lord, turning on her heels and moving towards the door. There was a moment when Rin reached to door that she thought she would be free. He had already decided to head to her room and leave. There was always a need for demon slayers on the road, her hand was on the shoji, but that was as far as she would make it. That warm hand from earlier made its way to her shoulder and was spinning her back around to face it's owner. By now his eyes were completely red, blocking out any gold or white that his eyes may have contained. His tattoos were jagged and dark, and a devilish smirk was plastered on his face. A growl reverberated from somewhere deep in his chest, and he stepped forward far enough to press himself fully against Rin. Even though he was at least a head taller than her, they seemed to meld together and Rin was able to move her head enough to stare him in the eyes again.  
"That is the problem, my Rin." A clawed hand reached up to caress her cheek, and she listened as his voice wavered between its normally deep tone to something darker and much more sinister. "I care too much." The clawed hand drifted over to her lips, tracing them and focusing fully on them before another growl rumbled through him. "You should leave, little one." There was a shift in the air as his aura and power became almost tangible, and they started to radiate something other than anger, and Rin hoped it was the same feeling that was currently knotting up her stomach.  
"Why?" This deeper voice made the knot in Rin's stomach tighten more, finally recognizing that this was his inner demon poking out and trying to take control. It both scared and aroused the young woman to know that she had brought this out of the normally stoic demon. She knew from her slayer lessons that a demon whose inner beast had broken out and taken control, was something to be fearful of. They operated purely off of basic instincts and were often times unpredictable.  
"Because I take what we want little one. And can you guess what we want?" The sinister voice that came out of Sesshomaru's mouth flowed over Rin, calming her nerves as he ran his clawed fingers through her hair.  
"No, I don't know what you want." The demon chuckled at her and leaned closer to her to whisper in her ear.  
"You little one, we want you." Rin's heart was racing as the daiyoukai raised his head to look her in the eye before leaning closer in what seemed like a move to kiss her. There was a moment where his lips brushed hers and it felt like heaven on earth. But the moment was short lived. Before the kiss could get any deeper, Rin was falling backwards and was snapped back into reality when the floor made contact with her lower back. A menacing growl bounced around the hallway as Rin looked up to see who had opened the door. General Makoto stood a little ways back from where Rin had fallen, and she thought she caught the tail end of a smirk before fake concern flooded his face.  
"My lord, I am sorry to interrupt you, but a fight broke out between two of the families and they refuse to speak to anyone but you." When Rin glanced back into the office, Sesshomaru was standing straight backed looking as he did when he first walked into the office. There was no sign that he had even let his inner demon loose, hair perfectly straight and eyes emotionless. The demon lord stepped around Rin (as she reached up to trace her lips, still not believing that what had just occurred happened) to address Makoto.  
"Fine. Tell them that I will be down in a few moments." He then turned to help Rin up from her position on the floor. When Makoto didn't move, Sesshomaru growled out. "Leave, General." The dog demon was quick to scurry down the hall, but not without one last glance at the pair. Sesshomaru let go of Rin as soon as she was sanding and stable, and she tried not to let the disappointment show on her face.  
"Lord Sesshomaru I..." Rin reached out for the daiyoukai and was surprised when he stepped back and out of her reach.  
"This will not be spoken about, am I understood Rin?" Sesshomaru had turned away from Rin, and spoke with a coldness that made Rin shiver.  
"Yes, my lord." Rin walked and talked and by the time she reached her room, she could hear him descending the steps.  
That night Rei listened from her chambers as her charge cried again, but Rin had requested that she make no move to cover her anguish. Rin's earlier statement would haunt her for the rest of the night. Leave it be, Rei. Let him realize the pain he can cause without his sword. And for the first time, Sesshomaru stayed awake listening to the sound of his ward's sadness, and knew exactly what caused it.  
*Across the Palace*  
"What do you mean you think they were kissing?" A female voice hissed to her companion in a darker side of the palace. The taller figure shrugged and replied.  
"I can only tell you what I smelt. I could smell the pheromones all the way down the hallway. Do you know he has her put up in the Lady of the West's chambers?" The deeper voice trailed off in thought, but was brought back when a clawed hand gripped at his arm.  
"Well then we need to keep her away from him! You know our deal! I get Lord Sesshomaru and you can do with the nigen what you please, all we need to do is make it until the ceremonies and we can both have what we want." The softer voice drifted down the hallway as she slid back into her rooms. The armoured male slinked back to his room, drifting off into a peaceful sleep filled with dreams of a cinnamon eyed beauty sharing his bed, and if his plans went well it would soon be a reality.  
Breakfast the next morning was a tense affair. When Rin sat down at the table with her men, it seemed like an announcement to everyone that things would not be good. Sesshomaru had arrived at his seat and just stared at Rin's empty seat for a moment. Rei had served in the castle for most of her life and had never seen her Lord come so close to having emotion on his face as when he finally approached his seat, without his ward for the first time in nearly two weeks. He made no effort to make Rin move, and one of the near by ladies jumped into the spot. The men tried to continued to speak to Rin, squeezing advice out of her until there was nothing left to give. She left with the men, a stern look on her face.  
That day at training had been one of the rougher days on the men. Rin ran the men into the ground, abandoning her fake limp and jumping in the fray with them. The young demon slayer kept up with the men and didn't leave the training area for meals or Sesshomaru's tea time. Rei stood off to the side, watching as the young nigen worked herself to near exhaustion, causing Haruko to carry her up to her room.  
The men walked back to the barracks with concerned whispers on their lips. Haruko spent the night in his chamber in the palace, rather than the barracks with the men, and they knew that was a cause for concern. Even when Rin had invaded the barracks in tears, Haruko had returned to the barracks for the night. But the men could not risk staying up waiting for their commander. The mating ceremonies for Sesshomaru would start the next day and that could mean their own applications for the army would begin. They knew that the new Lady of the West would hand pick her own guards, but they had no desire to disappoint Rin during their application.  
The next day turned out to be one of the more difficult days of Rin's life. Application Ceremonies would begin and she had no idea how she would make it through. Rin wanted her lord to be happy, and she knew that his father would pick someone to make him happy for the rest of his centuries. Rei forced Rin to attend breakfast and lunch, making her rest in between meals and spending most of the night getting her pampered and ready for the ceremony.  
As Rin took the trek down the platform, Rei followed behind her with her sword strapped to her hip. Rin would no longer have the added comfort of Inuyasha and Kagome. Their own ceremony had ended a week into her stay and Kagome's condition caused her to yearn for home. At that point in her stay, Rin was content and happy with her lessons and training, so the pair had left. They had promised to visit after the baby was born, but now Rin felt as though the baby would be the perfect excuse to slip out from under Sesshomaru's nose. Rei and Haruko would be the slayers only support during the ceremony, and even they were being treated with a cool shoulder and frosty attitude.  
The platform was even more elaborate than the ceremony for Inuyasha and Kagome. The women who were applying, a cat and dog demon, were dressed in some of the best kimono's that Rin had ever seen. Their long hair were in elaborate do's that looked as though the entire day had been set aside just for that. The other families were also dressed to the nine's, hoping that one of the women would back out and their daughters could step forward.  
Rin filed into place next to Sesshomaru, trying to ignore the pain that was radiating throughout her chest. Akari smiled at Rin from across the platform, knowing a few of the problems that were going through Rin's life. The young girl was willing to be friends with Rin, openly ignoring the disdain coming from her sister. Rin's nigen bloodline did not bother the young panther demon, giving their friendship a deeper bond. Their lessons had stopped a few days prior, and they would meet when they had the chance. Akari even coming in to comfort Rin the night before, helping Rei and Haruko.  
Reminded of her two friends, Rin turned her head slightly to find Rei behind her and Haruko off to the left of Sesshomaru with his brother. Rei had been faithful to the young girl throughout her stay here. While Rin was fine with how basic her rooms were when she first arrived, Rei had realized that those rooms would never feel like home. Paintings and more elaborate furniture had been moved into Rin's rooms, giving it a lived in feel that comforted Rin when things went wrong. Haruko had been loyal to his 'second in command', giving Rin the title Lady Rin with the men and giving her a routine to fall into.  
But over the past two days, when she wasn't drowning in her own sorrows, Rin had noticed the heated looks that passed between the two when they thought no one was looking. She recognized the look from the frequent exchanges between Inuyasha and Kagome before their child was conceived. She had also watched the other couples that wandered into the castle, looking for the approval of the statue to begin their mating. The couples that had been approved always passed those same looks at each other, and Rin suspected that Haruko and Rei would be seeking permission for application soon.  
Sesshomaru stood his ground, eyes grazing over the crowd looking for troublemakers. There had been whispers of possible fights between the women should someone be chosen tonight. He suspected that the families would break out in disputes, but physical fighting had been a surprise to him. His perusal of the crowd ended on his ward and he felt a foreign emotion enter his chest.  
Why do you resist her, Sesshomaru? The daiyoukai ignored his inner demon, stepping forward as the last of the palaces residents entered the platform.  
"Let the ceremonies begin." Stepping back, Sesshomaru tried to ignore the flinch of his ward. Rin was trying her hardest to separate herself from the situation. Just pretend it is a demon hunt. No emotion but the ones needed to make it through the night. The older dog demon stepped forward, and started to speak.  
"Tonight begins the beginning of Lord Sesshomaru's application ceremonies." The demons in the crowd quieted and the two done-up demonesses stepped forward. "Lady Akemi and Lady Kimiko will be tested tonight." There were disappointed sighs as both demonesses stepped forward near the statue. "Lord Sesshomaru, please step forward." Sesshomaru took the first step forward and the urge to grab his arm and pull him away from the ceremony overtook Rin.  
The pains in her chest increased as he took the knife and sliced his hand into the statues waiting palm. There was a collective sigh when the statue bent forward, acknowledging that his son was ready to mate. The unspoken worry had been a part of many rumors going around over the past few days. Everyone was so worried about Sesshomaru's possible mate, when they didn't even know if Sesshomaru's father would approve him.  
The first demoness, the dog demon named Kimiko, stepped forward to take the knife from Sesshomaru. She had a calculating look to her, an almost female replica of Sesshomaru. Her markings even matched the demons, besides the crescent moon which was reversed and a different shade blue. The dog demoness sent Sesshomaru a sultry look before cutting her hand and letting the blood drip onto the statue's outstretched hand. There was a moment where nothing happened in Rin's mind. Then the world slowed down to an almost frame by frame viewing. The blood dripped off the woman's palm, and splashed onto the statue. There was a brief pause where nothing happened, then the statue had stood, crossing its arms and returning its stare back to his son. Kimiko let out a wail, breaking the cool composer while her family ended up dragging the woman off of the platform after five minutes of her begging to be retested, that there must have been a mistake. Sesshomaru's expression had grown angry when the demoness turned to him, grabbing at his robes and begging that she was perfect for him.  
"No mate of mine would grovel." The quiet but stern comment from the taiyoukai sent her into uncontrollable sobs as a grin broke out over Rin's face. Rin had already let out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding, attributing that to the pains in her chest. So you mean that wasn't from the pain of possibly losing a man- no a demon- that was never yours? Long ago, Rin had determined that consciences were not worth listening too.  
The crowd had calmed when the elder called for Akemi. The cat demoness looked nervous, and almost as though she did not want to be in front of so many people. She took the knife from the elder, stepping over to the now outstretched palm. Time did not slow this time for Rin, and she watched as the statue almost immediately snapped back up to attention, a blank look staring across the platform. Akemi let out a sigh of relief, and her family gave Sesshomaru a bow before leaving the platform quietly.  
"The ceremony is now over. We will reconvene tomorrow night when Lady Kasumi and Lady Kiyomi are tested." The was a murmur over the crowd before a man stepped forward.  
"Lady Kasumi and Kiyomi, the twin wolf demonesses, have left." There was a murmur throughout the crowd as people scrambled to think of ways to push forward their daughters. "They knew that they were not destined for Lord Sesshomaru, and have left to find mates of their own kind." There was such an uproar from the crowds, and guards had to step in and calm the crowd. The elder quieted the group, looking to Sesshomaru for guidance on what to tell them.  
"If the two demonesses have left, then the list will simply be moved up. Lady Emiko and Lady Mizuki will be tested tomorrow night." With that final comment, the dog demon turned on his heels to stalk towards the palace. Rin had turned to do the same, wishing to be out of the formal kimono as soon as possible when a voice drifted towards her.  
"Don't get too comfortable, nigen." Rin swiveled towards the voice, trying to find the female voice among the crowd. But no one was near enough to whisper that in her ear. The voice had caused the hairs on the slayer's neck to raise, and she almost ran from the platform, Rei scrambling to catch up with her. That night she slept with a dagger under her pillow and Haruko outside her door.  
Across the Castle  
"It looks like that nigen will be yours sooner than expected." Hate filled eyes gazed across the hallway at a demon who was about to jump from joy.  
"I know, I know." The woman slinked back into her room, knowing that she had a big day tomorrow, she was going to be mated and no one would stop her.  
The next morning seemed to pass the same as the last. Rin sat off at one of the side tables, surrounded by her men. Sesshomaru's seat was surprisingly empty that morning, much to the disappointment of the ladies. But anyone who knew the young demon slayer would have seen that something was very wrong.  
The young woman was slouching, with bags under her eyes and a desperate look hidden in them. She kept her sword on her person, rather than in the corner with Rei, though the servant was armed with her own dagger as protection. Her back was to the far corner, an ideal place to scope out the entire room. The men around her seemed to be on high alert, even if they were not sure what they were looking for. Rei and Haruko ushered her out onto the platform as soon as breakfast was over, hoping that training would help ease her nerves from the threat. But when it became apparent that beating the soldiers into pulps was not enough for her, Haruko approached Rei off to the side.  
"Rei, I don't know what to do now." Glancing back at Rin in time to watch another soldier fall, he grimaced at her ever weary expression.  
"I do not think she will get better until these vile women are gone." Haruko shot Rei an exacerbated look, only to be shot down quickly. "Do not look at me like that! It had to have been one of them, Rin said that it was a female voice that threatened her."  
"Yes, but it could have been a visiting servant trying to scare the little human. Or even one of the castle servants. Most of them love Rin, but there are a few who would rather see her on the menu than sitting at the table." Haruko called for a break, sensing the tense atmosphere that had taken over the platform. Rin quickly moved over near the pair, leaning back against the mountain. The dog commander took a shuddering breath before broaching the topic with Rin.  
"Rin, can you tell me anything more about that voice?" She closed her eyes, a tremor running through her as she recalled the memory. "Rin?"  
"It was definitely a youkai, and female. Pretty young too. She had a high pitched voice, and was obviously fast if there was no one else that could hear it and no one was close by." She tried to look indifferent, not wanting the people around her to see her fear. There was no reason that she should fear this voice as much as she did. Being a demon slayer came with its fair amount of threats, but there was something to this voice, something raw and hellish about it.  
"Well, that would narrow it down to the women that are coming here to apply for Lord Sesshomaru. None of the servants here are young enough, or brave enough, to threaten you like that. Is there anyone that you have had issues with since you arrived here?" Haruko had moved to block the seemingly uncaring Rin from the view of the men. The girl nodded her head, and Rei spoke for her.  
"Those two vile women that are being tested tonight!" Rei spat out the comment, jumping to defend her human."They were in lessons with Rin, until they ended a few days ago. They always avoided her, but luckily one of their sisters was there to help Rin and keep the one girl away from her." Haruko looked thoughtful for a moment before turning to address the men. They gathered around him, only quickly glancing at Rin to assure that she was there and alright.  
"Lady Rin will be leaving us for training today." A round of protests came up through the men, wanting their main trainer to be present for what could be their last day of training. "She has recently been threatened and needs to be taken away from such a hostile environment." The men straightened, attentive to their commanders every word. "She will be going off on AhUn with Rei for the rest of the day until the ceremonies tonight. I want at least two men with her at all times during the ceremony. We believe that one of the women who are participating in the ceremony tonight may be after Rin. Now we all know that she can defend herself," The demon glanced back at the stoic Rin, grinning at how much she reminded him of Sesshomaru. "but it never hurts to have extra eyes on the situation. She will also be separated from her sword during the ceremony, and until she is able to get to Rei, can not defend herself against a sword." By now Rei was ushering Rin off of the platform, and pushing her towards the stable and AhUn.  
The two headed dragon seemed pleased to see Rin. No one but Sesshomaru and Rin took him out to fly, and it had been a few months since Sesshomaru had taken the aging demon out. The two headed beast had belonged to Sesshomaru's father before him, and though he was content to rest now, a ride every so often was still welcome. Haruko proved right in suggesting (more like demanding) that Rin go for a fly. Rei had never been up in the sky with AhUn and teaching her how to ride the dragon and not fall off was the perfect distraction. The panther demon in Rei was more content in the forest than in the sky, and anyone who happened to glance up could see the demon slayer laughing at her shaking companion.  
And that was how Sesshomaru got his first glance at Rin that day. The dog demon had locked himself in his office and rooms, not willing to come out and face the demonesses that plagued his castle. But he was also concerned with how loose his control had become with his ward being in the castle for only two weeks.  
Last night had been an eternal struggle of epic proportions between Sesshomaru and his inner-demon. The demon had edged its way to the surface, gaining control long enough for it to drag him to the hallway and outside of Rin's room, standing in the shadows and watching Haruko pace outside her door. He had retreated back to his room, and entered a deep meditation that he had only just left.  
Finding his inner demon that night was easier than it should have been. The large dog was trapped behind iron bars, surrounded by darkness. The key to his cell hung at Sesshomaru's waist and the demon licked its chops as it stared at the daiyoukai.  
"Why was that fool outside our nigens room?" The demon growled out, pacing behind its trap.  
"She is not our nigen. Stop this foolish attraction at once." Sesshomaru watched the dog pace, getting aggravated by simply watching. The demon laughed as Sesshomaru started his own pacing, and sat to watch his humanoid form suffer.  
"You actually believe that it is just me that feels this way? I can only act on existing feelings, torment you over weaknesses that you create! You have grown these feelings over the years, you have no one to blame but yourself." The demon watched as the pacing continued, growls eventually joining the fray. There was a long time that neither spoke, content just to watch or pace until morning came. Then the demon began to push against the bars, and Sesshomaru watched as the chain that held them shut stayed strong.  
"You will never escape on your own, why do you continue to try?" The dog demon sat back, red eyes boring into the taiyoukai.  
"I do not need to let myself out." The dark growl reverberated through the darkness and Sesshomaru attempted to remain indifferent. "Not when you will do it for me." There was a moment of confusion before Sesshomaru realized what had happened. His feet were moving of their own volition, closing the distance between him and the locked chain.  
"What are you doing to me?!" By now he was in front of the lock, his arm reaching for the key. His eyes grew wide in disbelief as the chain fell away and the demons red eyes met his.  
"Nothing, I have done nothing but do what you are too cowardly to do!" The demon let out a growl, stepping out towards Sesshomaru. The daiyoukai stepped back, stunned in disbelief that what he had spent his life doing was shattering around him. He had struggled to use logic over the pure instinct that ruled over most youkai. But when Rin had wandered into his life, the inner demon began to struggle with a renewed vigor.  
With a gasp and a sudden jerk, Sesshomaru was ripped from his meditation. He was still in the same place, cross legged and sitting in the middle of his rooms. The demon had retreated back into its cage, an arrogant chuckle reverberating throughout his head. In a moment of weakness the shaken demon took his anger out on his near by wardrobe. He now stood, staring out his window, watching his ward fly across his nearby lands, a genuine smile on her face for the first time in days.  
Though, there was no time for him to stand and stare at his beautiful ward. There were things that needed done before tonight, and his tea had just arrived. A few hours later his general Makoto, a generally competent inuyoukai, knocked at his office door. He called the man in, watching him as he sat down in front of the desk.  
"My lord, I am afraid that I bring grave news." The demon pulled a scroll from his sash, hanging it to Sesshomaru. "This is a letter from a demon port to the west of the castle." Sesshomaru nodded, reading the letter while listening. "They are under threat from the nearby human villages and ports, and are asking for assistance."  
"Why should we send our own troops, Makoto? The port should be large enough to protect itself." Sesshomaru eyed his fellow dog demon, wondering why this concern had made it through to him.  
"They recently experienced a plague that has killed many of their men. There is little to no protection there, and this is one of our major trade centers with the mainland. If it falls into the human's hands, then trade will stop between the demons of the mainland and the island, or they will trade with demons to the north or south over us. We can not afford to lose this port." Sesshomaru sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and contemplating possible actions.  
"Send the first and third battalions of men. They are the fastest and most experienced." Meaning it as a dismissal, the demon lord turned back to his work only to find that Makoto had not left. He cocked an eyebrow at the man, hoping the action would make him speak or leave.  
"I was wondering if I could also send a group of recruits along with the men? Your ward's group seems promising, and a mission would help to prove their worth. Haruko's team does not normally make it into the army, but these men have some talent. Going on a mission with that powerful of a group will help them show us what they can do." Sesshomaru was surprised to hear the compliments falling from his generals lips, but took his advice into account. The man had yet to lead him astray in regards to his army. Sesshomaru was willing to admit that he had not bothered to learn to fight on such a large scale, preferring to go out himself and not risk losing because of someone else's incompetence.  
"Send them out now, inform Rin's group as well." He then went back to his work, glad to see him finally leave. But in his eagerness to get back to his work, he missed the maniacal glint to the elder demons eyes.  
By the time the sun was setting, Rin and Rei had retreated back into the castle. Their laughs echoed throughout the bustling halls, and Rin was surprisingly happy as she walked back down to the ceremony platform. Rei followed behind her human, who had grown on her to be a friend or family. When they walked out to the platform, they were greeted by a worried Haruko.  
"What's wrong, Haruko?" Rin asked, running her hands along the spider silk of her dress, getting rid of nonexistent creases.  
"The men were sent on their first mission this afternoon." Rin smiled at the man, but asked about his worried look. "The best of the best were sent along with our recruits, there are barely any soldiers here now besides a small group and the ones brought by the other families. Keep Rei close by tonight Rin, I do not know what will happen tonight." Before he could continue he was swept away by his brother, asking about the men and how they were doing in training.  
Rin made her way over to Sesshomaru, eyeing the surrounding demons as she went. Emiko and Mizuki were dressed in the finest silks,their hair in elaborate up-do's and their faces painted with an excessive amount of makeup. Mizuki was looking nervous, playing with a strand of hair that had fallen out of her bun and biting her lip. Emiko looked calm and collected and was occasionally sending Sesshomaru a heated glance. The aforementioned demon lord was standing in his normal spot, staring at the statue. As Rin approached him to take her place, he glanced at her and she could have sworn that his eyes flashed red before he turned back to face the crowd. The elder dog demon stepped forward, waving at the two demonesses to step forward. A hush came over the crowd as they did, and everyone filed into their spots.  
"Tonight will be the testing of Lady Emiko and Lady Mizuki. Lady Emiko will be the first to be tested. Lord Sesshomaru." The man held out the ceremonial dagger, waiting for his lord to approach the statue. His late father's statue extended its arm, accepting his son's blood and bowing towards Emiko.  
Rin, now unaffected by the ceremony going on around her took a moment to look at the crowd. She scanned the women, trying to figure out who could have whispered the threat to her the day before. Looking over near Mizuki caused her to glance back at her sister, Akari, and her family. Next she scanned over to Emiko's family when an alarm went off in her head. Most of the families had brought a few guards with them for their safety as they traveled, but they never accompanied them as they went to ceremonies or wandered in the castle. But tonight, Emiko's family was surrounded by soldiers and their wolves, watching the proceedings.  
The young woman watched as Emiko sent Sesshomaru a confident look as she sliced her hand, letting the blood drip down onto the outstretched hand. There was a moment where nothing happened and then the statue sprang back to its previous position, glaring down at the young wolf demon.  
"NO! I will be his mate, you stupid statue!" Emiko's face flushed, visible even under all of her makeup. "Test me again!" The wolf demon continued to scream, stomping over to the elder in charge of the ceremony.  
"I am sorry young lady but the statue is final. No one will be retested." The dog demon did not even flinch as she continued to scream demands in his face. Everyone was focused in on the temper tantrum, and with no guard present besides Emiko's, Sesshomaru was forced to step forward. The crowd seemed to be eating up the spectacle, until Rin noticed movement in the corner of her eye. A soldier from Emiko's group had made his way around the tightly packed group and as she glanced around, the soldiers had all left the family to surround the group. There was a muffled noise, and as Rin spun she had enough time to see a man grab Rei and drag her off of the platform and into the palace. The guards all seemed to stare at her, and no one else seemed to notice them. She slowly backed away, trying to keep her eyes on as many guards as possible and make her way to Haruko who always carried his sword.  
When she finally backed into a solid mass, she turned around, surprised to see that she had hit Sesshomaru. He let out a low growl, turning to address her.  
"What are you doing, Rin?" Rin was too stunned to answer, the shock of what was happening getting to her hardened reflexes. The demon lord turned back to Emiko, stunned to see that she had stopped screaming at the elder.  
"Well, if I can't be retested then I will just have to be your last option." The now calm demoness turned to look at her father, who in turn nodded his head as the first scream rang throughout the crowd.  
There was a stunned moment when no one moved, simply stared at the lifeless body of an unnamed young woman. Then, hell broke lose. The men that could still fight had pulled out swords, but the number of assailants outnumbered the defence. Sesshomaru broke out of his revere the fastest and attacked the first soldier he could reach. Haruko followed suit, both men killing at least one demon before being engaged in battle.  
Rin still stood in shock, unable to process what was happening. Rei was gone, Haruko was too far away for her to reach him and he only carried one sword. He would be of more help than her in her kimono. There was a glimpse of black hair near her, and the sound of two swords meeting rang loudly in her ear. She turned, catching the last moments of one man's life as he fell to Akari's feet. The young demoness smiled at Rin before throwing a small object at her feet. Rin bent down, avoiding another swipe of a sword to pick up the ceremonial dagger.  
"Watch yourself, Rin." Akari yelled out to her, over the sounds of the raging battle. "Emiko is out for you, and so is my sister. Keep by me and watch my back!" Luckily the two women were of similar height, and fighting back to back came easily to them. Both of them were wrapped up in the battle around them that they did not notice a supposed ally approaching. Assuming the man had come to help, the two let him through, and Makoto took advantage of the opportunity to shove Rin away from the demon princess and towards the statue. The shove caused her to lose her balance and the dagger that fell to Makoto's feet.  
"How fitting," The general said, bending over to pick up the decorated dagger. "do you think I should kill you or keep you, nigen?" He paced over to her, the people around them assuming that he was helping the young woman. Rin scrambled to her feet, the sound of ripping fabric hitting her ears and a breeze crawled up her now exposed legs.  
"What do you want with me, Makoto?" The man approached her, forcing the young woman to back up until stone fingers pressed into her back.  
"I want all of you." The demon's voice gained a deep timber, and his eyes traveled over Rin's body making her shiver with disgust. Reacting on instinct, she reached out and slapped the man, the sound of flesh meeting flesh reverberated over the platform.  
Sesshomaru's sensitive ears picked up the sound as he sent another man to the underworld. Turning to find the source he was met with the sight of his bruised ward backed up to the statue, his general still reeling from the hit while pointing the dagger at Rin. The demon lord moved to defend Rin, but he didn't move fast enough. Makoto reeled back then swung the hand holding the dagger at Rin. The tip of the dagger grazed her face, sending blood flying onto anyone and anything in the area. Rin's face had turned in Sesshomaru's direction and was stunned to see him standing still as stone, simply staring at her. The battle around them faded into the background as she raised her hand to her cheek and leaned back, the pain finally hitting. It was then that Rin realized what her lord was staring at. It wasn't his injured ward or his traitor general, but the fact that fingers were no longer pressed into Rin's back, but a fist.  
For a moment, nothing existed in the world besides Rin, the statue and Sesshomaru. The living dog demon stood and watched as his ward turned to look at the statue, now extending a fist and giving the slayer a charming smile. Rin couldn't believe it, even going as far as to reach out and touch the fist, just to make sure that the image in front of her was real. Guards had arrived by now, the men from Emiko's guards were either dead or tied up. The young human was broken out of her revere and shoved back into the human world when a high pitched scream reverberated throughout the platform.  
"NO! This can't be! He was supposed to be MINE! I refuse to lose to a stupid nigen." Rin turned, looking across the platform where Emiko stood being held by a castle guard. That was when everyone turned, taking in the state of Rin's cheek and the position of the statue. There was silence for a moment, after the guards had dragged a screaming Emiko and a sobbing Mizuki off of the platform. No one moved, not a soul. Then everyone turned at once, taking their eyes off of Rin and leering at Sesshomaru.  
One thought crossed every mind simultaneously, what does Lord Sesshomaru think of this new development?  
It seemed like it took a moment for him to realize exactly what was going on, until the weight of the situation crashed onto him. He ripped his eyes off of the statute to look at Rin, and once again just the two of them existed in their own little world. Thoughts were flying through Rin's head at a mile a minute. What is going to happen now? Will he accept me? Is this even really happening? There was a moment, where both just stared at each other and suddenly there was a flash of light, blinding most of the platform. When their sensitive eyes finally refocused, Sesshomaru was gone, a ball of pure energy darting across the sky.  
Rin was told later on that she had collapsed, fallen to her knees with tears streaming down her face, mixing with the blood from her cheek. The smell caught the attention of both Rei and Haruko, both painfully used to the smell of Rin's tears. Haruko carried the young woman up to her quarters while Rei recovered from her brief capture. The panther demon would never forget the smug look on Makoto's face, who was bound and being lead off of the platform just in time to see the sequence of events.  
When Rin rejoined the land of the living the next morning, she was laying in her bed with Rei sitting calmly nearby. She could sense Haruko outside the room, and she could hear him pacing, the clinking of his armour giving away where he was. Rin sat up, rubbing her dried eyes and trying to remember how she got there. Rei was quick to get to her human's side, helping her up and offering her a wet cloth to wipe her face with.  
"Just take a moment to orientate yourself, Rin. Take it slowly." As she sat on the bed, the events of the night trickling back into her memory, her eyes widened in surprise.  
"Has...has he come back yet?" Rin's voice was hoarse, and the panther demon moved to grab a glass off of the side table. She came back, sitting next to the bed, handing Rin the glass while ignoring the question. "Rei?"  
"I don't think you're ready for that information yet, Rin." The panther demoness responded, simply sitting back and watching her drink the water.  
"Rei, just tell me." The panther demoness seemed set in her way until Rin let out a sigh and a quiet please.  
"No. He's not back yet. Reports came in from last night that he went to the port to help with the defense against the human attack." Rei tried to ignore the disappointed and dejected look on Rin's face before her demon slayer mask slid back into place. The young slayer stood, swaying a bit before heading towards the bath. Both women were quite as she bathed, simply letting Rin rest and taken in the gravity of what was going on around her.  
She was the soon to be mate of Sesshomaru. Lord Sesshomaru. The man who had helped to raise her and the demon that she had slowly come to love. She had realized that fact a long time ago. She loved Sesshomaru. Even if though he had left her in a village for eight years, even though he had killed countless men, even though he ran from her the moment she was chosen, she loved him. There was nothing she could do but learn to live with the consequences of her love, but it didn't matter anyway. Her human lifespan compared to his made her seem as though it was blink in his timeline, something to be pushed to the side and forgotten about. Rei eventually pulled the sulking human out of her bath after an hour passed and her skin had shriveled. Haruko was brought in after Rin was dressed in her slayers outfit, sitting on the bed with the same emotionless face.  
"Rin, even though Sesshomaru is not here we need to talk with you along with the advisors. Do you feel up to coming with us?" Rin nodded, standing to follow he demon commander to Sesshomaru's office, Rei following close behind. When the stepped into the office every head turned to look at her. There were three older dog demons sitting in front of the desk, one she recognized as the dog demon that lead the ceremonies. The other two were dressed nicely, and looked to be Sesshomaru's advisors and it took her a moment to realize that one of them was Haruko's brother, Daisuke. Haruko lead her to Sesshomaru's chair, helping her into it and standing behind her along with Rei, and Rin took a moment to appreciate what they were doing.  
"Commander Haruko, I do not believe that your presence is necessary." The man, the one that Rin could not identify, spoke up. He sent a glare at Haruko when he refused to move and went to speak up again before Rin interrupted.  
“I want Haruko here, and you will simply have to deal with that..." Rin trailed off, letting the man fill in the blanks. He was an older looking dog demon, but to human standards he looked to only be around thirty. He had striking blue hair, but the pointed ears and magenta stripes gave away his origins.  
"Raiden. As long as he stays quiet, he can stay." The man grumbled, recognizing that in this meeting, Rin was the one in charge.  
"What is it that we need to do here?" Rin spoke, but any emotion was long gone, she simply wanted this to be over with so she could return to her chambers and sleep.  
"I am here to confirm that you are the one Inutaisho choose, and that things were done correctly. Even though it was a bit unorthodox, there is not denying that you are the person that he choose. With Sesshomaru leaving, that changes things a bit." The aging man took a breath before taking a large gulp of tea that a servant had delivered before Rin arrived. "Normally the ritual would have been completed last night, but since he left it was a blessing in disguise."  
"Why is that, Hiroshi?" Daisuke spoke for the first time in the meeting, and Rin caught the weariness to his voice.  
"It gives us a chance to explain things to Lady Rin. She was raised to know human court traditions but that does not mean that she knows the mating rituals for demons." Hiroshi sent a smile to Rin, showing that he was not meaning to offend.  
"Could you explain this all to me? I don't really understand what is going on." All three men started to speak at once, then glared at one another. As the demon's argued over who should speak, Rei leaned down to whisper in her ear.  
"Just have them explain the before and after, I will explain what happens during the ah... ritual." Rei gave her a gentle smile then leaned back to resume her stance behind her human.  
"All I need information on is how this will change things. I have no idea what will happen after the ritual." Hiroshi, the eldest of the men, went to speak, but Rin raised a hand ushering the man to stop. "I have no need to know what happens during, that will require a more feminine touch that none of you posses." The men all nodded, taking the statement as a back handed compliment.  
"After the ritual, things will get complicated fast. We will need you to start building relationships with the other Lords and Ladies as soon as possible."  
"But what does it all matter? I only have thirty or forty years left." Rin's voice was drenched in sadness when Hiroshi spoke up.  
"There is no need for you to worry, Lady Rin. When a demon mates, they tie their lifespans to each other. So when a human mates with a demon, the human adopts the demons lifespan and some of their abilities. You will live as long as him, though you will die with him since his demonic powers are the only thing that are keeping you alive. There will be a party at the end of the week, long enough for the Lords and Ladies to receive word and make it here to meet you. Lord Sesshomaru expressed his wish that his mate be the one to deal with relations with the other territories and to handle the affairs of the palace. So we will have Lady Midori staying on for a longer period of time to assist you until you are comfortable." The elder smiled, pausing for a break and allowing Daisuke to continue.  
"I am taking over after Makoto's... betrayal. Haruko will be pushed up to Lieutenant and he will be the one that you communicate with." Rin turned giving her friend a large smile and her congratulations. "Lord Sesshomaru will deal with me and the traveling army. You and Haruko will be in charge of training and the men that are stationed in the territory. Also, you will need to pick out your own unit."  
"What do you mean by my own unit?"  
"We know that you are quite capable of taking care of yourself, but there will be times when you will not be able to carry any weapons with you. Your unit will consist of around ten men that their only duty is to keep you safe."' Daisuke nodded to Raiden, who then continued on.  
"You will deal with me when it comes to making any treaties or dealing with the Lords and Ladies in the other territories. I will catch you up on the dealings of the West and you will take over that duty on your own. I will mostly help you with the demon relations since you will not be able to catch up with that much history without a few years of assistance." Raiden kept talking but Rin had lost her concentration. She was tired and overwhelmed, and Rei seemed to pick up on this.  
"Excuse me, Lords and General, but it seems that Lady Rin is not in the condition to deal with all of this information at the moment. I am going to take her back to her chambers and let her rest." Rei helped her stand, and was helping her out of the room when a servant came running down the hallway. He stepped into the room, bowing to the people around him before rattling off his message.  
"We just got word that Lord Sesshomaru will be back at the palace by tonight." Daisuke waved the servant away, sending Rin a sympathetic look as Rei lead her to her room. Haruko left the women, knowing that if Sesshomaru was returning then Rei would need all the time she had to explain what the ritual entitled.  
"Rin, I know that you just want to rest but we need to talk about this before he gets back." Rei settled the young woman onto her bed, but made sure to keep her awake. Rin looked over at her, waiting for her to speak. "If you haven't figured it out yet, the general gist of the ritual is sex. Now demon's aren't as strict with sex as you humans are. Most of you are worried about the purity of your daughters when they enter a marriage but with demons it is not a big deal. What sets apart the mating ritual from sex is the exchanging of venom through a bite. It's normally put on the shoulder or collarbone and it is what binds the two people together. You will gain some of his powers and his healing abilities. Besides that, I really can't tell you much more. As far as I know, the rituals are the same for all demons but hopefully Lord Sesshomaru will be able to explain anything else that I have not."  
For the rest of the day, Rei and Rin stayed in her rooms, waiting for nightfall. When word that Sesshomaru had gotten within the palace walls, Rei left the room leaving Rin in a nicer kimono to greet her lord.  
So where was Sesshomaru during all of this? Here we are…  
Emiko had just started to scream, angered that she had not been chosen. Why did I send all of the guards to the port? Sesshomaru stalked over, hoping to the intimidate the worthless demoness. But if anything she seemed to scream louder. The elder demon was trying to calm her, but her family simply stood off to the side. The demon lord could hear nothing over the roaring of his ears from her howls. After a few minutes of trying to get the wolf demoness to calm down, something collided into his back. Turning around, he noted that no one was directly behind him, but when he looked down, there was Rin. She was on the ground, with a look of terror on her face. What is she looking at?  
"What are you doing, Rin?" Following her line of sight, he was met with the sight of one of the wolf demon guards staring her down. Then he realized that Emiko had stopped screaming. He turned to face her, and there was a maleficent glint in her eyes. Then he realized that her screaming had been a cover as her men had moved in to surround the platform.  
"Well, if I can't be retested, then I will just have to be your only option." A wicked grin spread across her face as she stepped back and was promptly surrounded by more warriors. But Sesshomaru's only concern seemed to be defending his currently defenseless ward. Somewhere, in the back of his senses, he heard the struggle of Rei against a guard. But now, now he was more concerned with the soldiers around him. One made to lunge for Rin as a scream echoed out through the crowd along with the following thud of a dead body.  
One soldier lost his head to the daiyoukai's poison whip, and another to Commander Haruko's blade. The bloodbath continued, his only concern was to thin the crowd until his remaining soldiers arrived from their posts. Out of the corner of his eyes, Sesshomaru registered Akari stepping up to help defend his ward who now wielded the ceremonial blade. At least the damn thing will be useful for once. Blood continued to run over the platform, turning the normally pristine green grass, red. Again, Sesshomaru beheaded another useless warrior as he watched his general approach Rin. Good, the more protection she has the better. More warriors fell to his sword as the palace guard finally made their way to the platform. Enemy warriors were gathered and the only ones left seemed to be centered around the statue, and as Sesshomaru broke through the wall of them he was met with both the sound and sight of his young ward slapping his general as she was slowly forced back.  
He watched Makoto raise his hand to his cheek, disbelieving that the young woman had left a scratch along his normally pristine face. Then the horror struck through him as his general raised his own weapon clad hand and brought it down, striking Rin in the same way he had been moment before. Blood sprayed across the nearby area as Rin leaned back from the force. It was then that the state of the rest of the platform hit him. That damn statue had made its way back to its original position, but now the damn thing was smirking at Rin as she reached out to touch the now closed fist, unbelieving. Both were surged back into the living world as Emiko's screams echoed over the quiet platform.  
"NO! This can't be! He was supposed to be MINE! I refuse to lose to a stupid nigen." Emiko was then dragged off the platform, as all attention returned to Sesshomaru. Everyone was looking at him, including his ward,  
"No, the little one is now our mate. Take what is ours Sesshomaru.”  
“Do. It.”  
“NOW!" There was a questioning look on Rin's face and Sesshomaru knew that the longer he stayed in her presence the more likely it was that he would jump her, and take her there on the platform. And with that final thought, the taiyoukai transformed to his purest form and took to the sky. His only thought was to find something to kill, something to make the cries of his soon-to-be mate stop ringing in his ears.  
At first, small game was enough to placate him. A rabbit, or a deer but soon even those came to bring him pain. The memories of Rin flew through his head as her younger self acquired a rabbit or ran through a blooming pasture to pick every flower in sight. Then he remembered the impending battle at the port, with dozens maybe even hundreds of humans just waiting to be killed! So the demon lord changed course, from heading south to the west, the smell of salt and fish wafting in from the ocean killing his nose.  
He was there by mid morning, just as the men were preparing for battle. And that day the seas ran red with blood and Rin's recruits watched as their Lord ripped into any and every breathing human that approached the port with anything other than kindness and trade in mind. The cries of the dying replaced the gentle calls of the sea birds, and the sand clumped in nasty bunches as the blood and salt mixed on the shores.  
By that evening, the human revolters had given in and Sesshomaru was on his way back to the palace with his demon in control. That was, until he approached the palace and the smell of sakura assaulted his nose. The special bath perfumes that Rin used had slowly made their way into his sensory memory and now he actively sought out the smell any time he placed foot in the palace. As the sound of servants bombarded him, the demon retreated into it confinement.  
“Our Mate may not fear me but there is no need for me here.” It was odd for Sesshomaru, for his mind to be clear of the demon for the first time in nearly a month. No longer was their a constant whisper for him to claim his young ward, because now she would truly be his.  
Sesshomaru appeared in the doorway, the epitome of calm and collected. Rin was sitting on her futon, anxiety rolling off of her in waves. There was no issue with what she was about to do, Kagome had given her ‘the talk’ years ago, but it was the fact that it was him. She had dreamed of this for years, and it was finally happening. But Sesshomaru couldn’t know that. He didn’t know that the anxiety wasn't from fear of him, but fear of disappointing him. So when his posture slouched, and his face started to show emotion, it only worried Rin more.  
“M’Lord..”  
“Rin…” Both spoke at the same time, anxious to appease the other. When Rin glanced down, a blush staining her cheeks, Sesshomaru took that as his cue to continue first.  
“Are you okay, Rin?” Concern was not something that Sesshomaru often conveyed, but Rin seemed to understand that there was so much more behind the few words. Are you okay from the battle? Are you okay being here with me? Are you okay with what is about to happen? Are you okay with being shackled to the demon lord of the west for the rest of eternity? Are you okay if I come closer? Are you okay if I touch you in ways that I will never admit that I have dreamed of?  
“I would be better if you were over here, Sesshomaru.” The lack of a title on his name helped jar Sesshomaru from his revere. Standing in the doorway of his mate-to-be’s room, her sitting on the futon dressed in her finest for him. Sesshomaru had battled demons larger than life, but this was the most scared he had ever been. He still saw Rin as delicate, someone that he needed to be cared for and protected, and Rin had some ideas on how to dissolve those notions.  
While Rin had never been with a man, Kagome read enough ‘trashy romance novels’ and wasn't above sharing them with the younger woman. Rin knew a great many things about what was supposed to happen, but she had no desire to force Sesshomaru to mate with her because of a statue. The ceremonies were simply to pass on permission, not bind anyone in any way, and Rin had no desire to be bound to a demon that may come to hate her and her children one day.  
“Is this what you want Sesshomaru? Do you want to be bound to a ningen for the rest of your long existence?” And even though she wanted to run, not to even risk hearing him say no to her, she rose and took a step towards him, her hand reaching up to rest on his cheek and slide back towards his hair. It was a shock to her when he bowed his head, twisting to allow her more access to his hair and ears.  
“I have wanted this for longer than you know, little one.” Rin could have sworn that she heard him release a soft groan as her finger ran over the ridge of his ear, before slipping into his hair and scratching at his scalp.  
“I can guarantee that I have an idea, M’lord.” By now Rin was pressed against his chest, could feel it rumble from down deep within his chest the harder she pressed into his scalp.  
“Sesshomaru.” He seemed to choke the word out, like he had forgotten how to speak somewhere between her hands in his hair and her chest pressed against his. When he had kissed her in his office, there was no time to analyze that her lips seemed to meld perfectly to his. No time to notice that her body wasn't the soft form of a lady, but muscle and tight skin pressed against him through the thin kimono.  
“Yes?”  
“I don’t want titles or power plays. Just you and I, together, as equals.” It was his turn to render her speechless, as his clawed hand began its way up her shoulder, just grazing her neck and into her hair, the shiver than ran up her body having little to do with the slight chill to the room. . “Did anyone…”  
“Yes, Rei explained what needs to happen, as well as she could. She said that dog demons could be different than panthers and to ask you.” Now, her hand was gone from his hair, causing a low pitched whine to escape her soon to be mate. “So, what else do I need to know?”  
“Nnnothing else.” Not that Sesshomaru could have told you his name at that point. Her hands were warm and slightly calloused against his stomach, pushing material out of her way and down his arms. She was nipping at his earlobe, her hands skimming across any newly exposed skin, mapping out scars centuries older than herself.  
He reached, trying to slowly undo her obi that tied loosely in the front all the while resisting the urge to rip it all apart. But the reward was worth the restraint, as silk slid away to reveal tan skin, covered in scars of her own. As his claws traced scars running down her arms, Rin’s moans started to fill the room.  
“That’s not fair.” Disappointed that her mouth was no longer touching his skin, Sesshomaru looked down just in time to see her head tipping back, as her mouth slackened at his hand moving towards her chest.  
“What do you mean little one?” As the demon’s nails ghosted over her nipples, the jolt of pleasure and fire in her veins caused Rin to release a low hiss and retaliate by raking her nails across his nipples, only harder leaving red trails in their wake, making the demon lord speechless.  
It was after this that Sesshomaru’s inhibitions gave way, and his whole world became the feel of Rin’s lips against his, her moans and whimpers ringing in his ears. It took the slip of a canine against her breast to break him from his reverie. He needed to remember that his mate was still human, and her skin not as thick as that of a demoness. Rin didn't seem to notice the cut on her chest until Sesshomaru pulled away, coming back into herself and realizing that they had moved to the futon.  
“I...I…” There was worry in his eyes, but something else floated behind it, a bone deep desire to kill and make anything it could bleed. Rin knew that it was the demon beneath the human like mind, but it did not scare her as Sesshomaru must have assumed. He had backed off, moving to roll off of his ward and away to the door. Rin would have none of this. She would have her lord before the morning came, and nothing was going to stop her, not even his demon.  
“Where exactly do you think you are going?” She followed the comment by wrapping her legs around his hips, grinding her heat against him. She couldn’t remember when all of their clothes had slipped off, but Rin didn’t care so long as it brought her closer to her mark.  
“I hurt you.” His hand slid around her breast, causing Rin to release a moan of pleasure, the slight wound no longer bleeding.  
“I did not feel it, Sesshomaru, you upset me more by pulling away.” So far he had avoided looking at her, but now he looked up, seeing the truth in her eyes. “You forget that I have trained for years to slay demons, I am not a soft lady of leisure. I can take you, should I have too. But I don't believe that your demon would hurt me either.”  
“You don’t know that. little one.” His eyes were transfixed on her breast, the small drops of dried blood seemed to call to him, and he leaned down to suck at her nipple and cut. Rin continued running her hands through his hair, occasionally switching to scratch at his back as the pleasure built. When he reached down to tweak at her clit, her pleasure peaked, and her first orgasm ripped through her. His name tore from her lips in a low, strangled voice and the chuckle that came from Sesshomaru was deeper and rougher than normal.  
“That.. that was…” Rin couldn’t seem to catch her breath as the aftershocks rocked through her, and was surprised to find herself ready to go again as red eyes stared back at her.  
“That was perfect, mate.” The demon kissed his way down Rin's stomach, getting teasingly close to her core, before moving back up to her neck. By then her pants had become an excited breathlessness, and the demon seemed satisfied with a cocky smirk on his face.  
It surprised Rin a bit, that the sight of her mates demon was as much a turn on as his intellectual side. But the two were on in the same, and the demon had no reservations when it came to how to treat Rin. He looked deeply into her eyes, the brilliant red and jagged marks twisting with his smirk as he slipped his hands into her hair, pulling her head back and exposing her neck for his perusal.  
“This is what we want, mate. We want your submission, we want you under us, screaming our name to the gods.” These were things that Rin would gladly give Sesshomaru and his demon. She showed him by wrapping her legs around his waist and grinding herself against his length, letting out a sultry moan and arching her neck more.  
That seemed to please the demon, if the grated groan he released was any indication. He ground into her again, rubbing her clit and allowing her wetness to spread. There was a moment when he stopped, the words between them no longer necessary, seeming to ask permission to go further and cement their bond.  
There was a primal need in Sesshomaru's gut, one that was extremely pleased to smell that his mate was still intact and pure for him. He knew this first time would cause a slight pain, but nothing she could not handle. It was only this fact that allowed him to let the demon control this time, to watch from inside himself as his own hand reached down, guiding his cock inside of her as slowly as the demon could. It came as no surprise that their Rin was impatient, years spent dreaming of this moment mixed with lust in waves, spurring her into action. With a simple thrust of her hips, she was full to the brim with him and the moan she let out was like the sweet burn of good sake: always leaving you satisfied, but yearning for more.  
There was only a slight grimace, for only a moment, before awe and pleasure mixed in Rin's mind. The thought that he was there, that he wouldn't leave, was only adding fuel to the fire as she continued to rotate her hips, trying to spur him into some kind of action. It didn’t take much, looking back at it the next morning, but the moments before he started to thrust felt like an eternity. Though as soon as he started, a burning heat began deep in her stomach, and stars exploded behind her eyes.  
Her pleasure seemed to spur on his, though he kept his face buried into the crook of her neck as he held back from fucking into her. Even the demon seemed to realize that there would be time later for rough, that now was the moments for a slowed kind of hurry to please. His fangs tickled across the skin of her neck, just barely lacking the pressure to bite into her and seal her fate as his for eternity. The demon knew that it was Sesshomaru's place to seal their mate to them, so he simply sucked and kissed at her neck, leaving a mark of his own behind.  
The two laid in their embrace, slowly bringing each other to the peaks of their pleasure. Though the demon left behind more marks of his own, long scratches down her sides when she figured out how to clench the muscles in her pelvis. More than one bruise on her collar and neck to show a temporary kind of possession. Sesshomaru made a point to last a moment longer than his mate, desperate that she know her pleasure meant the most to him.  
As the demon;s climax ended, he receded, content that his mate was pleased and sated. Sesshomaru reemerged slowly, breathing in the scent of Rin as he laid collapsed on top of her. Again the doubt emerged, the red lines and bruises that littered Rin's body. He knew his mate was strong, that she could handle his demon was enough proof of that. He leaned up onto his forearms, staring down into the wonder filled eyes of his ward.  
Rin could see the worry hiding behind Sesshomaru's eyes, could see that it was trying to take over. She had no desire to see that happen. Leaning up to trap him in a kiss, the two spent a few minutes wrapped in each others embrace, until Rin choose to speak.  
“I’m better than alright, Sesshomaru.” The sound of her voice, the lust behind his name was enough to have him hardening again. Rin grinned, feeling him growing inside of her, and started to slowly rock her hips in encouragement. “What do I need to do to prove that I’m okay?”  
Sesshomaru would admit, years later, that it was one of the most astonishing moments of his life, when his ward tightened the muscles in her thighs and twisted. When she finally settled a moment later, she was sitting across his stomach, pinning his arms above his head in one of her small hands. He always thought that being forced to submit would feel wrong, sick. But pinned under Rin, his throat exposed and vulnerable was one of the sweetest moments of release in his life. For once, he did not have to lead, did not need to be the one making orders.  
“Like I said, M’Lord, I am not scared of you or your demon.” And the gods be damned if he didn’t love her more in that moment then he ever had before.  
There was no resistance from him when his ward shifted back, a command in her eyes to keep his hands still and his throat bared as she settled onto his length, her hands resting back on his thighs. Watching as his ward took her pleasure from him, had thrown back in passion, he reached for her breast. Tweaking and pulling was not enough for Sesshomaru, being a passive observer was never his style. But when he leaned up, intent on kissing his mate, she shoved him back, a rabid look in her eyes as she continued on faster and rougher.  
As Rins climax approached, she reached forward pulling his hands from where they tore at the futon, letting him pull her forward and gain access to her neck. She knew it would be best to seal them together during a climax, the pleasure distracting from the pain of the injected venom. It was a simple process, but the effects would last for eternity, tying even their souls together to search for each other in any life.  
It was a surprise to Rin, that as she felt his teeth on her neck, he pulled her down. Urging her to bite at his neck, the demon lord pressed her head into his neck and reveled at the feeling of power it gave her. His submission earlier was a simple one, letting her on top and keeping him vulnerable was one thing, putting her teeth to his neck was another. It was a heady thing, and it was the feeling of it that pushed Rin over the edge, dragging out her orgasm as she bit down.  
They had both been warned about what the bonding would feel like, physically. Rin would feel a burst of pain, before becoming extremely energized as Sesshomaru shared his life energy with her. And while she would never become a demon, she would adopt his long life and some of his weaker abilities, if he was a strong enough demon. Sesshomaru knew that he would feel drained, but would recover quickly as his demon equaled out sustaining both him and his mate.  
What no one told them was the mental effects of the bonding. That a few moments would feel like forever, their emotions rolling together as their souls intertwined. Rin could see herself, growing over the years, flashes of herself in training in the village, Sesshomaru hidden in the shadows waiting for the perfect time. His utter dread as the other women paraded in front of the statue of his father, and the demons anger that he would not admit to his feelings. Sesshomaru could feel the abandonment that Rin felt those first few years, then her fierce determination that she would become nothing less than the best for him. Her embarrassment as she spoke to Kagome about the, hypothetical, day that she would bond with Sesshomaru. The love she felt, even as he pushed her farther away when she came to the castle.  
Their shared trepidation about this night, melted into the pleasure they both had experienced and then they settled back into themselves. Rin had little desire to move, content to lay on top of her lord, but at his urging, rolled off of him and onto her back. Sesshomaru sat up, looking down at his ward before raising his hand to his mouth.  
“M’lord…” Sesshomaru shook his head, keeping his mate from him as he raised his venom filled palm to the rapidly healing mark on his neck. He barely allowed a hiss to fall past his lips as the venom sank into the wound, allowing it to heal but leaving the scar of her teeth marks forever on his neck. “Sesshomaru!” Rin reached for his neck, the sign of her equality to him a stark difference on his otherwise flawless skin.  
“You will bear my mark, Lady of the West.” He swept aside her hair, admiring the perfect teeth marks, already healed due to his powers. “And I will bear yours.” She smiled at him, standing quickly and pulling him with her.  
“Will you join me for a bath, mate?” She sauntered across the room, heading towards the door that lead to her private bathing chamber. It took a moment for him to tear his eyes from her backside before following her into the room.  
When Rin awoke the next morning to the rays of the sun, the only proof that she held that Sesshomaru had joined her was the slight indent and the warmth that still resided there. When she moved, she was surprised to find the movement only slightly impaired. When she rose from her bed, she realized exactly how busy Sesshomaru must have been before he fell asleep that night.  
The young demon slayer was dressed in a sleeping kimono, and her wounds were all dressed in bandages that held no trace of blood. The only one not covered was the bite mark where her shoulder and neck met, but it was also the only one fully healed. Standing in front of the mirror to assess all of her wounds, the night flashed back to her.  
The new Lady of the West knew she would treasure that night for the rest of her existence. Having one of the greatest demon lords submit for your every pleasure was something that few demons could admit to having, let alone a human. Rei had wandered into the room sometime during her self examination and she watched as her human slipped the kimono back onto her body and stared at the blush colored crescent moon now adorning her skin.  
"I wonder if I have the stripes..." The young woman wondered aloud as she turned to face Rei. "Good morning Rei." False cheer dripped from her words, but Rei only gave the young woman a knowing look before addressing her.  
"Good afternoon, you mean Lady Rin. It is nearly lunch time." Rei laughed at Rin's astounded look. "Yes, you have been asleep for quite some time. Lord Sesshomaru left only a little while ago to attend to the guests that still reside in the castle." Rin just watched Rei as she paced around the room, placing out a kimono for Rin along with a different slayers uniform.  
"Where did this uniform come from, Rei?" Rin trailed her hands down the tough yet soft material that barred a new design. It was the same base black color, but sewn into the chest was the same blushed color crescent moon that adorned her own forehead.  
"Every Lady of the West gains the same crescent moon. So the tailors saw fit to gift you with new uniforms as their version of a mating present." Rei helped the young woman into the uniform, but continued to speak as she went. "Your stripes were on your hips, My Lady. They are partially hidden by one set of bandages, but they start on either side of your spine and curve their way around to rest on your hips. Two on each side. They will be added to your other uniforms to finish marking your status." Rei then helped her into a functional yet nice looking (bluish-purple with sakura leaves) kimono that tied to her left, allowing for her sword to be carried with her.  
"Are the kimono's a gift as well?" Rei laughed at the young woman as she fixed her hair up into a ponytail.  
"Of course. It is from the men. They returned last night and heard of your troubles with carrying a sword. They pooled their money to buy a few kimonos with the special design of being nice looking but easier to remove for combat. This last piece is from Haruko and I." The panther demon had pulled Rin's hair into an elaborate yet messy looking bun that was being held up by two chopstick. "They are sharpened and quite deadly if the right organs are pierced, so I am told." Rin laughed at Rei's still basic knowledge of war. Haruka and Rin had been working on giving the panther demon a working knowledge, knowing that hanging around Rin could come with their downfalls. "There are a few pairs in different colors, allowing you to have them with you at all times, and pass unnoticed, unlike your sword." The current pair she had in were a pink matching the sakura's on her kimono and when she was shown the other pairs, she saw that they had matched the other kimonos the men had given her.  
"These are all so beautiful, Rei. They must have been so expensive!" The guilty look that Rei shot the young slayer confirmed Rin's worries. "Well, I must see that I get you a raise, Rei. It would be only fair. It seems in all of this running around, I missed your birthday." Rin had remembered as she stood on the platform, watching Haruko give Rei the love struck eyes, that the day had been her birthday.  
"Do not worry over me, Lady Rin. I have been on this earth for well over one hundred and fifty years. The exact year often eludes me in my old age." But the panther demoness remained at the human age of around twenty-five, and would stay so until she reached into the thousands. Sesshomaru's age still eluded Rin, but she figured that he was around two hundred. "Besides my best gift was to remain with you. One of the elder servants who served Sesshomaru's mother when she resided here wanted to take my place. Luckily Lord Sesshomaru stepped in and told her that she would be staying where she was." The two women had sat down on two chairs near the window that Rei had brought in, and they took in the look of the area before Rin spoke again.  
“How did you all have time for these? Obviously a short two day notice for me becoming the Lady of the West couldn’t have given you the time for these kinds of gifts.” Rin thought for a moment before adding. “I mean no offense Rei, I’m just wondering what the occasion could have been?” Rei smile up at her human, by now used to the fact that she would always be shorter than the human woman.  
“Well, Haruka had made some enquires about when your birthday might be. Jaken told him that in all your time on the road with him you had never celebrated your birth. But he did tell him when your umm, rebirth was. Said he complained quite a bit that that was the day you took Lord Sesshomaru from him. And the day is coming up, so we ordered them, but when you were accepted in the ceremony we pushed the order through for today.” Rin nodded, feeling it pull on the bandages down her back as she moved.  
"It seems as though my mate has been busy while I was asleep." Rin sat pensively, watching as the world kept moving on around her as she came to accept her new position in life.  
"Well, he had come out earlier this morning, when the servants were just rising. He made his rounds to certain people to remind them that they now obeyed you and what their places were. I believe he came straight back to you afterwards, he was just leaving as I heard you stirring in your room." Rin smiled, remembering the sweet side of the daiyoukai that she had been exposed to last night. The human laughed as Rei itched to ask questions about the night before. "Go ahead, ask your question, Rei." Rin laughed harder as Rei sprung out a string of questions, going so far as to bend over holding her side and ignoring the pain of her strained muscles.  
"How about you just tell me the highlights?" Rei laughed, blushing as she realized how long she had rambled on.  
"It was scary, but it was perfect at the same time." Rei smiled at her, and Rin pushed through her blush to continue on. "It felt like someone had lit every nerve on fire yet tossed me in a freezing lake all at once. When he was in control he was so nice and attentive and he obviously took care of me afterwards. I just hope that it doesn't go away. I don't think I could handle it."  
"I would prepare for it, Lady Rin..."  
"Oh stop calling me Lady Rin. It's just Rin, if anyone has a problem with it they can deal with me."  
"Okay. Rin, I would prepare for it just in case. I haven't been around as long as Lord Sesshomaru, but in all the years I've served him he has never openly showed his emotions. Maybe in private he will, but in front of the other demon lords, he will probably treat you with indifference." Rin sighed, knowing that it was true, but held out on the hope that in private he would be different. When Rin was finally dressed, the pair made their way down to the dining hall and Rei talked as they went.  
"Things should not change too much. Today will be the most hectic day. Many of the other demon lords stayed to discuss things with Sesshomaru. Their wives may give you some troubles but just ignore them, they are just jealous that you got the best of the bunch. You should meet with the head of the servants and the different sections of the castle to prepare for your time hear. Lord Sesshomaru has never been involved with domestic affairs and will more than likely leave you too them. Also the men are going to be tested tomorrow night, and you will have to be there to pick your guard. It may also be a good idea to meet with your group after lunch." Rin nodded as they made it to the hall, noting where people were.  
There were fewer families that remained, and they tended to ignore Rin as she made her way to her seat. The men she had trained had risen, bowing to the new Lady of the West and not sitting again until she had lowered herself into her seat. The bandages made it difficult to sit, but she managed and hoped that no one would be suspicious. Sesshomaru was stiff as a board, and had watched her approach her seat with no greater interest than he ever had. Though he did reach out to pour Rin a cup of tea from a special pot on the table.  
"Drink all of this." This was the only thing the demon lord said to her throughout breakfast, and as she drank the odd tasting tea she realized that it was a herbal tea that she had seen Kagome drink a few times before, after being injured. The little show of affection, though odd, made Rin smile. As lunch wore down and families started to leave, Rei approached Rin.  
"Do you wish to speak with the men first or to meet with the palace servants?" Rin seemed thoughtful for a moment before answering.  
"Let's talk to the servants first. The men can wait until after supper, and I can train with them then." Rei nodded before heading over to Haruko and allowing Rin to stand on her own. Most of the people around the pair had left already and as Rin straightened, a warm had wrapped around her wrist.  
"Are you alright?" It took Rin a moment to realize that it was her mate that had held her back and spoken, and when she did a large smile broke out on her face.  
"I am fine. A little sore, but nothing that won't fade in a day or two." The daiyoukai nodded, glancing over his mate once before looking into her cinnamon eyes.  
"I... I apologize for any pain I have caused you, Rin." The stammered apology made Rin smile even more and she twisted her hand to rub small patterns on the demon lords wrist.  
"You have nothing to apologize for. But I would like to speak with you later, after I have met with my men." Sesshomaru took in his smiling mate, registering her words but his mind still stuck on the passion that he knew was hidden behind those innocent looking eyes. Her simple gesture of a touch on the wrist broke Sesshomaru’s cold exterior.  
"Of course. Have Rei find me when you are free." Rin smiled again before stepping back and following Rei out of the hall. She could feel Sesshomaru's eyes follow her out, and Rei shot her a teasing look as they walked out causing a blush to flood her cheeks. They made it to a small room in the servants wing of the palace and Rei went off to find the demons and demonesses in charge of different chores.  
The first demon to arrive was a small pig demon by the name of Kenta. He was a short man, coming only to Rin's shoulders. But this was a characteristic of that kind of demon. He had black hair and a pushed up nose, paired with oddly pink colored eyes. The man was in charge of the gardens and the outside platforms of the palace.  
The second demon was a cat demon by the name of Takao. His appearance was the most striking of the four people that would gather. His ears were similar to those of Inuyasha's, but instead of one solid color, his hair was a base of gray with stripes of black running through them. The eyes of cat demons had always shocked Rin. Instead of white with a colored pupil, cat demons had a varying color of green surrounding a black pupil. The cat demon was in charge of the kitchens and keeping stock of supplies in the palace.  
The first demoness to arrive was a panther demon like Rei, but older by the name Shinju. The gain woman had the same stripes and yellow colored eyes as Rei, but her black hair had started to fade and was a waning grey color. She was in charge of the cleaning of the palace and maintaining the bedrooms and baths.  
The last demon was an elder dog demon by the name Yuudai. The man was as tall as Sesshomaru and had the trademark crescent moon in a pale golden color on his forehead. His stripes curled around his neck and he had a few visible scars. He was an ex-commander in Sesshomaru's army and due to a debilitating injury was put in charge of maintaining the military barracks and any military events.  
"So you are the new Lady of the West?" Shinju was the first to speak, and Rin took no offense the the glance over that everyone gave her.  
"Yes. Now that we have established who I am, can we move onto the reason for this meeting?" Yuudai gave a chuckle, and muttered under his breath 'I can see why he likes this one.'  
“What exactly is the reason for the meeting, Lady Rin?” Shinju seemed to be the oldest, with the most experience so Rin decided to speak through her to everyone.  
“I wanted to make sure that the castle would be able to get back to normal from the ceremonies, and that everyone had what they needed. My mate,” Rin couldn’t help but smile at the word, and it seemed to endear the rest of the group to her even more. “has put me in charge of the domestic affairs, and I would like to include the care of our military in that. If there are any issues, I would like to hear them now so that I can start work on them immediately”  
“You are allowed to settle into your new position, young one.” Yuudai was the next to speak, and the others looked almost scared when he used such informal tones. “Besides, you couldn’t get my mate and I out of bed for a solid week after our mating ceremony. And Lord Sesshomaru is a few centuries younger than we were, we didn't expect you to be out so soon.” Rin determined, almost immediately that this was a man whose company she could enjoy.  
“I don’t plan to everything being done immediately. I've learnt over the years that demons are not always receptive to change. The fact that a human is now their Lady will be enough shock for now. I will implement changes slowly over time, so that hopefully no one can really tell what is happening. And what happens in my chambers is none of your concern, Master Yuudai.” The old dog demon looked over the young woman, before letting out a deep chuckle and looking back to Shinju for her to continue with her conversation.  
The group ended up staying and discussing the changes that Rin wanted to make, well into lunch time. The heads of the servants in the castle seemed impressed and willing to at least talk over some of the changes that Rin wanted to implement. Rei eventually stepped forward, saying that if she wanted to meet with the men, they would need to leave the meeting soon.  
“I want to thank all of you for your time, but I must leave in order to make a previous engagement. If any of you need something please feel free to contact me through Rei.” The group wished the young Lady well and left for their respective posts.  
"That went very well, those four do not normally warm up to people as fast." Rei said as the two women left the room, leaving the palace and walking around the base of the hill.  
"I'm glad. I just hope that the men's training is going well. If they are to be tested tomorrow..." Rin trailed off, trying to push the worry from her mind and focus on her surroundings.  
Rin and Rei made a pit stop into her rooms, taking a moment to take of the bandages and slip into her slayers uniform. Thanks to her new bond with Sesshomaru, the scratches on her back had more than likely healed by the beginning of her meeting with the servant heads, but it was a freeing to no longer be constricted by the bandages. The two women made their way down towards the training platform, speaking softly to each other about the changes that Rin wished to implement.  
Hope was something that seemed to be a rare commodity, but Rei would always treasure the fact the Rin had an overabundance, and was always willing to spread the extra. The servants seemed apprehensive of her plans, hope having diminished due to the last few ladies of the home. Sesshomaru's mother had never been interested in the palace, preferring to stay in her family home in the clouds. The ladies before her were generally more concerned with making sure their husbands did not stray too often, and left the palace to its own devices. Rin wanted to update the palace, bring in commodities that the humans had created over recent years that would ease life in the western capital. The head servants seemed to have absorbed some of the ever abundant hope and Rin was only energized more by their exchange.  
When they finally made it to the unit, the men had begun their training after their lunch break. The smell of sweat and metal put a sting in the air that Rin had come to crave as part of her routine. The soldiers seemed just as hurried as usual, Haruka running them through the paces in an efficient manner. A soldier closer to the doorway was the first person to notice Rin was there, and the demon took a knee almost immediately, causing his sparring partner to nearly hit the man with his katana.  
A course of ‘Lady Rin’s’ echoed through the grounds, all of the men taking a knee, excluding Haruka who saluted while standing. Rin nodded her head at the men, and headed towards Haruka as Rei settled onto the sidelines. It was a routine that had worn in over the course of the month or so that Rin had been in the castle, but today's was different and the call of her title held more weight than it ever had.  
“How are you doing today, Lady Rin?” Haruka inquired, glaring at the men until the resumed their training. They scrambled back into their positions, trying to allow their commanders voices to fade into the background.  
“I’m fine Haruka, I just wanted to thank you personally for your’s and Rei’s gifts. They were very thoughtful, and while I hope I never have to use them, they are appreciated.” Haruka nodded, smiling at something before answering.  
“I have to admit, while the weapon idea was mine, but the elegance of them belongs solely to Rei.” The smile returned at the mention of Rei, and when he caught Rins stare a blush stained the poor man's cheeks.  
“So, when are you going to ask my favorite handmaiden to mate with you Haruka?” The blush only worsened, and Rin seemed to be enjoying herself too much teasing the poor commander. By the time Rin was done teasing the poor demon, the men had finished their regiment, and were standing off to the side waiting for a command.  
“Well, gentlemen, it's time to get back to work. Today will be the last day that I train with you personally, unless Sesshomaru selects you to become a part of the Royal Guard. Now, normally the lady of the house would have a say in her guard, but because I could be biased Sesshomaru and one of my new advisors will help to pick out my guard.” The men nodded at her, relieved that she would be present for one last training session. But time flew quickly for the young men, before they knew it supper time had rolled past and the sun was setting. Rin departed from them in the dining hall, wishing them all well in the try outs the next day.  
Sesshomaru was waiting for her at the table, a pot of the healing tea steeping in front of her usual spot. There was no verbal communication between the two, and while it was not unnerving to those around them, it would be an odd sight to an outsider. The two moved around each other smoothly, grabbing food and passing dishes before the other seemed to realize that was what they wanted. Dinner continued as usual, though it was less crowded, many of the families that had invaded the castle had left. Any stragglers were only there to finish out the meal before leaving the castle to its new Lord and Lady. As the meal concluded Rin stood, motioning to Rei to follow her into the hall.  
"What can I do for you Rin?" Rei was one of the few people that obeyed Rin when she said to not call her lady. She realized that her new position demanded respect from outsiders, and normally those that worked under her. There were many in the castle that she had never met, and Rin believed that respect could only be given where it was due. Trying to explain that to the other servants had been a trial, but one she was willing to undertake.  
"I'm going to meet with Sesshomaru in his office, I just wanted to let you know to drop my sword off in my rooms and that you could retire after that." Rei nodded, looking at Rin with a knowing smile before starting down the hallway.  
"And when should I return, Rin?" Rei spoke over her shoulder, expecting to make the younger woman turn bright red and laughed to herself.  
"Do not expect to hear from my mate for a few days, Rei." The voice scared both Rei and Rin into jumping slightly, turning slightly to see the Lord of the West standing a few feet behind Rin. It made Rin smile to see him there, and it wasn't until later that she realized there had been others in the hallway, and that Sesshomaru had no qualms about being loving with her in a semi-public setting.  
"Of course, M'Lord." Rei bowed low, giving Rin one last smile before heading towards Rin's quarters. When Rin made to follow her, Sesshomaru stopped her with a light grip on her shoulder, causing her to turn and look up at him.  
"What can I do for you, Lord Sesshomaru?" She assumed he would want to go on a walk around the gardens or castle, and made to turn around completely. Before she could, one hand moved to her neck while the other rested on her hip and twisted her around to face him.  
The kiss he gave her was not a passionate one full of heat, but calm and intense, full of words that he was unable to say in front of the demons around him. There would be no complaints from Rin as it continued, not realizing that this simple act had solidified her role as Lady of the West. That any demon who knew of Sesshomaru, let alone worked under him, knew he did not show emotion until the ningen woman had stumbled into his life all those years before.  
A frustrated sigh rang out from the master bedroom, and Rei could only smile as she was assaulted with another pair of dress pants. Rin stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by clothes that no longer fit her slightly bulging frame, and she seemed near tears as her closet slowly cleared out.  
"I'm sure that one of your dresses would fit long enough for us to go shopping for maternity clothes, Rin." Rei giggled at the exacerbated look on Rin's face as she finally dug out a sundress and light jacket.  
"But what if I get cold Rei?" It was amazing to Rei, that someone could live for over five hundred years and still be able to sound like a petulant child.  
"That's what jackets were made for, my dear." Another piece of clothing was thrown in her face as the former Lady of the West pulled on a jacket over her dress. Before Rei could turn to hand Rin her hair pieces, the front door clanged open followed by the sound of a female voice.  
"I don't care what the company says they want. The contracts say that the men are to be paid the minimum with bonuses dependent on the quality of work. No one has yet to see a bonus and I won't see the company sued over this." A head poked around the corner as Rin's hair finally cooperated, and allowed her braid to be twisted into a bun. The young woman had deep black hair, and hazel eyes, a beautiful smile that shined at her mother. "Like I said, I don't care. We budgeted for this, give out the bonuses as promised." She nodded at the women in the room, heading down the hall towards her own bedroom as the two older women headed towards the door.  
"No charms in the house, young lady!" Rin called over her shoulder as she watched her daughter struggle with a full arm load and getting the door to her bedroom open. Nearly four hundred years of practice allowed her to ignore the eye roll sent her way, as Rei walked over to help.  
"I'll call you back, Jaken. Yes, I'll see you tomorrow, and those men will have their bonuses by then correct? Good." Rei had set what she could on the bed, and settled down as Rin made her way into the room. "Yes, I know mom. I just need to set this all down first."  
"How was work, Takara?" Rin leaned into the door frame, watching as her daughter stripped off her jacket and drew a long chain off from around her neck. The change was fluid and almost instantaneous as black faded into a shining silver and hazel flashed into red, then a deep golden. Her ears shifted and became elongated, but not too inhuman. It made Rin smile to see her daughters true form, the human exterior a recenet development within the past one hundred years.  
"It was alright, mom. Jaken has been giving me issues with regards to the budget but he seemed to have understood how..." Takara looked contemplative for a moment before choicing her wording. ...enthusiastic I am about making sure our employees are paid right." She smile to herself as she changed into a workout outfit, and ventured out onto the balcony. "How are you doing, mom? Are you sure you're up to going out?"  
"I'm pregnant, not made of glass, my jewel." Takara smiled at her mother, worry still apparent in her eyes through the nostalgia of hearing an old nickname. "And Rei will be with me the whole time. Since she and Haruka are visiting from Europe for business, it coincides nicely." Over the years, as society had changed, and demons were slowly backed into a corner by humans, Rei and Rin had agreed on an equal footing. Rin no longer held her official title of Lady of the West, their lands gone to the wonders of the modern age. Though Sesshomaru had adapted, taking the business world by storm and staying at the top of society, while being removed enough to avoid the suspicions of never ageing.  
"I think we may be staying for longer this time, maybe to see you through the pregnancy." The worry in Rei's eyes was something harder to ignore. Rei had lived through the first two miscarriages, held her as she collapsed with anxiety that Sesshomaru would cast her aside because her body would not bear him an heir. Rei had seen the short pregnancy with Takara, guiding her through the two month premature birth, and rejoiced with her when Takara lived.  
"You do realize that with modern medicine, I will be fine. The doctors even said I could keep working until my third trimester. If I think that anything is wrong, I know to go the doctors." Rin stood straight, and Rei stood both getting ready to leave once again. "And I'm enjoying the time that I have while I can. Your father is going to start denning down soon and I'll barely be able to wash myself let alone go out to get comfortable clothes. That's part of the reason why he's pushing for you to take over some of the companies sooner than he thought." It made Rin proud of her daughter, and her husband.  
She knew that the rest of the demon society wanted a male heir for the west, that only a man could carry on the name of the family. But her daughter came out strong and screaming to the world that she would be heard, and no one would stop her. Sesshomaru had never forced Rin to try for another heir after the first miscarriage, scared of her mental strain if she lost another child. He treasured his daughter and raised her to be as strong as any prince in the country. She would carry his name, as far as he was concerned, she was as powerful and harder working as any son.  
"We should get going soon, the shops will be closing in a few hours and you need the room to grow." It was a beautiful thing, Rei thought, watching Rin glow with her pregnancy. Haruka and Rei had agreed long ago that children were not anything that the other desired, and simply left the conversation at that. It was enough to help Rin raise her children, to influence them and love them from close by.  
"Yes, that would be a good idea. I really do need the clothes for the first semester of school." The women were down into the car garage before long, a car and driver awaiting them. It had become second nature to always assume that at least two guards went wherever Rin was. Her Royal Guard had grown and changed over the past centuries, but one thing always remained the same: the men always came from her original training group. Even though she no longer held her title, the men treated her no differently than they did when she trained them and ascended to Lady of the West.  
The only major difference for this outing was that a guard was visible to them at all times. With Rin carrying another child, and the issues that had occurred before, the men were taking no risks that she would start to miscarry and no one be available to the women.  
The evening whittled away for the women, buying business like maternity clothes for Rin's new position as the principal of the local high school. It excited Rin, to be able to work with children and guide them towards their educations. Over the years, Rin had experimented with dozens of different jobs, and determined that anything that involved helping children fufiled her the most.  
And over the next two months, school began and Sesshomarus denning instincts increased. Rin knew that they were getting close to the time that she would need to take the rest of the pregnancy off to satisfy his need to keep her safe, but she had one last job to do and it was something she saw as a important milestone in her history.  
"Principal Takashi?" A young man, around twenty five, had knocked on the open door and spoke to grab Rin's attention.  
"Yes, Souma? What can I do for you?" Souma was the schools truancy officer, and until this point had yet to come to the office in regards to any children.  
"We need someone to do a home visit to check on a truant child." This was normally the first step in the cycle of checking for a truant student: establish why they are missing school. If its choice, abuse from parents or truly just an extremely sick student, and depending upon the answer the school could respond accordingly.  
"What's the name and address?"  
"Higurashi, Kagome. She lives with her grandfather and mother in the old shrine on the hill."  
"Don't worry, I can handle it Souma."


End file.
